A Lifelong Burning
by TessaStarDean
Summary: Not everyone is what they seem, and not even McKay knows everything about everything. The Pegasus Galaxy is full of things they don't understand, but that doesn't mean those things won't touch and change their lives. JohnElizabeth, LorneOC, RononTeyla.
1. Chapter 1

John groaned as he rolled over, his legs tangling in the sheets. He didn't want to get up, despite the promise he'd made to himself the night before, and for a couple of minutes, he thought about just going back to sleep. The damage had already been done, though, and he threw the covers back with a sigh.

It only took him a few minutes to slip on his clothes and running shoes. He left the light off in the bathroom, not looking too closely at the man who walked beside him in the mirror. Sliding a careless hand through his hair, he walked out of his room and into the empty hallway outside.

Except that it wasn't empty. A young woman was walking past just as he stepped out, pausing and turning her head to regard him. She was pretty, with an amused twist tugging at the corner of her mouth. Her long blonde hair was swept up into a ponytail, and he couldn't help but notice how toned her legs were. He vaguely remembered seeing her around Atlantis, but he couldn't quite place her, or put a name to the face.

"Going for a run?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nah. I just like waltzing through the corridors in my workout clothes. Very freeing."

Her tone caught him off-guard, but he couldn't help but nod in appreciation. "I have to say, the sarcasm is a breath of fresh air this early in the morning."

"I'm a fan of starting the day off right."

"Any chance you'd like some company?"

She looked him up and down. "Think you can keep up?"

"I can certainly hold my own."

She thought for a moment and then nodded, stretching out a slender hand. "Danni."

"John."

Danni smirked. "I know. You ready?"

He made a sweeping gesture with his left hand. "Lead on."

"So," he said after a minute of silent walking. "You know who I am?"

"The infamous Colonel Sheppard," she replied. "I hope you're not expecting me to cut you any slack because of that."

"Infamous?" he asked, pouting slightly. "Not exactly the word I would have chosen."

Danni shrugged. "If the shoe fits."

John narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not one to build up a guy's ego, are you?"

"Like you need it."

The smile on her face softened her words, and he found himself oddly comfortable with her. It was different from the banter he had with Elizabeth or McKay, but it felt somehow familiar. He opened his mouth to ask her where exactly she worked in Atlantis, but they had reached their destination, and she turned to look at him with a smirk.

"Ready?"

A dozen comebacks came to mind, but he just settled for a cheeky grin as they began to run.

* * *

He was late. That really wasn't anything new, but he wasn't usually sweating and breathing heavily as he rushed into the conference room and slid into his seat. His run with Danni had been a hell of a lot harder than he'd been expecting, and he hadn't had enough time to shower. There were plenty of women on the expedition who liked to run, but John was fairly certain there weren't any who could keep up with him for such a long time at such a hard pace.

The worst part was that he had his suspicions about Danni holding back a little.

Rodney rolled his eyes as John sat down. "So nice of you to grace us with your presence." He wrinkled his nose. "You could have showered first, though."

"Good morning to you, too, Rodney."

He turned to Elizabeth, who seemed ready to start the meeting – though he caught the eyebrow she quirked at his appearance – but Rodney wasn't about to let it go.

"Seriously," he whined. "I realize that the fraternization rules have been lifted, but do you really need to flaunt –"

John turned to give him a hard look. "I was _running_, McKay."

"Oh, is that the term for it?"

He turned back, his mouth open, fully prepared to hit back, when a throat cleared behind him.

"Gentlemen," Elizabeth said firmly. "Focus."

Getting back at McKay was going to have to wait. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Elizabeth, a tight smile on his face.

"Good morning, Elizabeth."

Her expression told him quite clearly that she didn't buy his tone. "Good morning. Are you ready to pay attention now?"

His smile widened, and he winked. "I'm all ears."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Good. Because you're going off-world."

John perked up at that, just like he always did when he found out he was going off on an adventure. "Where to?"

"M4Z-837," Rodney said, all business now.

"Do they have a ZPM?" Teyla asked.

"No. As much as I stress the importance of ZPMs, there are apparently other reasons to visit places as well. Or so Elizabeth tells me."

She sighed, but didn't rise to the bait. "We're simply looking for more allies against the Wraith," she explained. "It looks as though there's a civilized society on the planet, so I'd like your team to check it out." Her mouth twisted up into a faint smirk. "Hopefully without causing any interplanetary conflicts."

John's face took on a hurt expression. "I hope you're not suggesting that I get into trouble on a regular basis, Elizabeth."

"I'm sure she was only expressing her concern for your well-being, Colonel," Teyla said diplomatically. Everyone could see the glint in her eye, though.

"Exactly," Elizabeth replied. "Thank you, Teyla."

"Not a problem. I have already requested that Ronon refrain from starting any fights."

John glanced over at his friend. "You starting to get the feeling that we're dogs on a short leash?"

Ronon shrugged, folding his arms across his chest. "I've gotten pretty good at breaking those."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth stood up. "Go. Stay out of trouble. And let us know what you find. We need allies, gentlemen."

Everyone filed out of the room, John dallying until he was the last one. Turning to Elizabeth, he met her eyes with a serious expression, letting her know that he understood the importance of the mission. When he saw the grateful and trusting look she returned, he smiled at her.

"I really was just running."

She rolled her eyes. "Get moving, Colonel."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."


	2. Chapter 2

"It wasn't my fault," John said as soon as they stepped through the gate.

Elizabeth sighed as she clasped her hands in front of her, just barely refraining from rolling her eyes. It was obvious that things had not gone according to plan. John and Ronon both had bruises on their faces, while Teyla had a cut above her right eye, and Rodney looked as though he'd been hiding in a bush for the past twenty-four hours.

"What happened?" she asked calmly, torn between relief that they were safe and frustration that they probably hadn't gained an ally.

"Everything was going fine," John replied. He turned and hit his friend with a scathing look. "Until _Rodney_ here decided to offend them."

"Oh, you cannot possibly be blaming this on _me_!"

Ronon shrugged. "I am."

Teyla nodded. "I have to agree, Rodney. For once, Colonel Sheppard did not have a hand in upsetting the natives."

John frowned. "For once?"

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked, ignoring him.

The team just continued to stare at Rodney. Eventually, he broke under the pressure, throwing his arms up into the air.

"How was I supposed to know that mentioning food was offensive? They just kept going on and on with their tedious and pointless ceremonies, ignoring the fact that I was positively _starving_…"

This time, Elizabeth did roll her eyes as she held up a hand to stop him. "Alright. I want you all to get yourselves to the infirmary so Carson can check you out." She shot a hard glare at Ronon and John, cutting off their objections. "Get checked out," she said firmly. "Colonel Sheppard, I expect to see you in my office afterward."

He only hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay." He clapped Ronon on the shoulder and began steering his team toward the infirmary. "C'mon, big guy. I'm sure Carson'll let us out quickly. You know how much he hates when he has to keep us there for more than a few minutes."

Ronon grinned. "That's true."

Teyla had just enough time to share an exasperated look with Elizabeth before they disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Although she was fairly certain that Carson wouldn't keep them long, Elizabeth also knew that John wouldn't come immediately to her office. He would head for his quarters first, allowing himself the luxury of a shower. She wasn't entirely sure if that was for his own benefit or hers, but she was grateful for it. It was much easier to listen to his mission reports when he didn't smell like he'd been crawling around in the mud for three days.

There was a small knock, and she looked up to see Carson standing in her doorway, a warm smile on his face. No matter how bad things got, or how frustrating her job was, Carson was always a bright spot in her day. Sometimes it startled her to realize how much she had come to rely on the doctor, but she was happy to call him a friend.

"Come on in, Carson," she said, leaning forward on her desk. "How are they?"

"They're fine," he assured her, taking a seat. "It looks like there was a bit of fighting, but nothing too serious. Mostly just bumps and bruises." He paused. "Mostly."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Like I said, it's nothing serious. But I doubt Colonel Sheppard will tell you about it. He has a long laceration on his left side. It looks much worse than it is – it's just big and ugly. But it's also going to make him a wee bit sore for a couple of days."

Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly. "So he should stay on Atlantis."

"It's only a few days. I just don't want him running off somewhere and pulling the stitches."

"The fighting must have been worse than he let on if someone got close enough to do that kind of damage with a knife."

"If I had to bet on it, I would say it was a sword, not a knife."

"Swords," she breathed. "Lovely."

Carson reached forward and patted her arm. "He'll be fine. Hopefully the galaxy won't need saving in the next week."

Elizabeth smirked at him. "You, Carson, are what Sheppard would call an optimist."

"Aye. And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Am I interrupting?"

They both looked up to see John standing there, sporting wet hair and fresh clothes.

"Not at all," Carson said, rising from his seat. "I'll talk to you later, Elizabeth." He turned to John on his way out. "And I expect to see you in three days, Colonel."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved him off and then came the rest of the way into the office, plopping himself down on the edge of her desk. "Doc totally ratted me out, huh?"

"Didn't even hesitate," she replied. "He knew you wouldn't mention it."

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"You know you're grounded until it heals."

"Ruin all my fun," he muttered.

Folding her hands on her desk, Elizabeth leaned forward. "So. Please explain to me how Rodney offended an entire planet."

John grinned as he slid off the desk, not quite hiding the flash of pain in his eyes as he held his hand out to her.

"Trust me. This story requires food."

* * *

"Did you really ruin negotiations because they held up your dinner?"

McKay sighed, his shoulders slumping even as he refused to turn around. "Do you just go trolling for gossip?"

"Trolling? They might as well have announced it over the P.A. system."

"Alright. Fine. Just get it out of your system now, please. And then go and do…whatever it is you do."

Danni walked over to the lab table he was using and leaned back against it, crossing her arms. "I'd much rather bug you."

Rodney sighed. "That does seem to be a favorite habit of yours."

"Dude, you offended a king. He ordered his soldiers to take off your head and serve it to his goats. That's freaking _awesome_."

Glancing over at her, he gave her a disgusted look. "I absolutely hate you."

Danni grinned. "I know." Tossing something in the air, she winked at him. "You'll get over it, though."

His hands reached out automatically, and he fumbled for a few seconds before getting a handle on the object. For a minute, he stared down in disbelief at the chocolate bar, not understanding.

And when he looked up again, she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I love that people are reading this story and adding it to their favorites. But don't forget that a short review telling me what you liked and what you're thinking is much appreciated as well!**

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Five miles through the city, and John was ready for their break as they came to a stop. They were on a catwalk that connected two sections of the city, and the view was breathtaking. He stared out over the water, squinting at the way the sun glinted off of the surface, casting everything in a bright glow.

"It never gets old, does it?" Danni asked.

John shook his head. "No, it doesn't." The cut along his torso was almost healed, but it took the opportunity to twinge, and he winced slightly. "We should probably start heading back."

"You're an idiot, you know. For running that hard with that kind of injury."

He gave her a hard glare. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't the one setting the pace."

Danni shrugged. "I just wanted to see how stupid you were."

"Good to know you're looking out for me."

"Anytime," she grinned. "That all could have been avoided, you know."

"The running?"

"Offending the Mordanians."

John snorted, once again staring out across the water. "Yeah, if McKay had kept his damn mouth shut."

"Or if you had someone who knew about neighboring cultures. You do realize the Ancient database has a pretty comprehensive knowledge store, right?"

"It's also huge. And in another language."

"There are a couple of people around here who can translate."

"Elizabeth is already stretched out too thin. Give her a job like this, and she'll stop sleeping altogether."

Danni rolled her eyes. "There are other people who can translate." She paused. "Myself, for instance."

That made him turn around. "What? How?"

She shrugged. "I've worked on the Stargate program for a while now, and I'm really good with languages."

John narrowed his eyes at her. "You know, it occurs to me that I don't actually know what your job here is."

"Think of me as a font of useful information," she replied. "I know where everything is in the city. I know when we're close to running out of things, and I make sure the Daedelus brings back the supplies we need. I also happen to know my Ancient history."

"And you're just sharing this information now?"

"You didn't ask," she said simply. "You should get going, by the way. Or you're gonna be late for your meeting with your team."

"I'm always late."

"I've noticed." Jogging in place, Danni flashed him a bright smile. "The next time you're heading off-world, it might be prudent to check with me. I might know something that could save your lives."

She turned and ran off, leaving him to stare after her. Though he was skeptical that she could translate Ancient as easily as Elizabeth, he was definitely going to pass the information along. There were too many unknowns in their environment to overlook what a person could contribute to the mission.

Taking one last look at the water, John turned and headed back towards his quarters, at a much slower pace than before.

* * *

Elizabeth heard the door open behind her, and a small smile played across her lips as she recognized John's steps. She could always tell when it was him, and his presence was enough to calm her, to push away the little stresses of the day – even if it was just for a little while.

"You've been holed up in your office all day," he accused quietly, coming up to stand beside her.

"Paperwork," she explained. "You have no idea how many reports there are to read."

"I do, actually."

She turned her head slightly to look at him, taking in the cocky smirk on his lips and the way he rolled on the balls of his feet as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Oh, really?"

John nodded. "Chuck keeps me well-informed."

"And why would he do that?"

"Because he knows you're a workaholic who doesn't take care of yourself." He shrugged a little. "Plus, I may have had Ronon threaten him once."

"You didn't."

His smirk turned into a grin. "I did."

Elizabeth let out a sigh that carried a quiet chuckle in it. "John…"

"It's for your own good, you know."

"Is that why you're here right now? For my own good?"

He nodded. "C'mon. It's dinner time. Or, you know…way past dinner time. But you're eating, even if I have to drag you down to the mess."

As much as she enjoyed arguing with him – unless it was about something important – she couldn't ignore the fact that she was indeed hungry. She held her hands up in surrender.

"I'll come quietly. I promise."

He gave her a suspicious look, obviously prepared for more of a fight. "I didn't say you had to come _quietly_," he said. "In fact, dragging you might be more –"

"Move on, Colonel," she said firmly.

He stuck his tongue out at her, the action catching her off-guard and making her laugh.

"Spoilsport," he muttered.

They walked in easy silence to the mess. That was one of Elizabeth's favorite parts of their relationship – she spent her days talking about a million different things, and she didn't need to do that with John. They could just walk or stand on the balcony, taking everything in. It was never awkward, and almost never strained, unless they'd been at odds. It always felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Two trays were already set out for them on one of the long tables, and she idly wondered if he'd had someone put them there or if he had done the job himself before coming to get her. Either way, her stomach spoke up even louder at the sight of food, and she sat down eagerly, smiling at John before digging in.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," he eventually ventured.

"I should have known you wanted something."

"Hey!" he protested. "It's not like that."

One of her eyebrows rose slowly. "Oh, really?"

"Really," he promised. "I'm just…passing along information."

That definitely caught her attention. "Okay. I'm listening."

"I've been going for runs with one of the women in the city. Danni Cordogan. You know her?"

Elizabeth nodded. "She handles the supplies of the city. General O'Neill placed her on the expedition. Why?"

"She mentioned today that the whole Rodney issue on our last mission could have been avoided."

She set down her fork, her attention fully on the conversation at hand. "How so?"

"She says the Ancient database covers most of the planets around us – and that she can translate it."

That made her pause. "She can read Ancient?"

John shrugged. "So she says."

"Well, that would be very useful. Though it makes me wonder why we didn't know this before."

"Might be helpful, though, having someone around who can navigate us through some of the…" he fished for a word, "_cultural_ snafus."

Her mouth quirked upward at his verbiage, and she picked up her fork once again. "I agree. When your team is ready to head off-world again, we'll pull her in, see if she knows anything that could help us."

John grinned at her, reaching over and snagging some food off her plate. "See? I didn't ask for a single thing."

Elizabeth smacked his hand with her own fork and then stole some of his food in retaliation. When he stared at her in open-mouthed disbelief, she arched an eyebrow at him again.

"Yet," she said pointedly.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are the two of you, by any chance, heading over to see Rodney?"

John and Elizabeth turned, surprised to see that Zelenka had suddenly appeared next to them as they made their way down the hall.

"You're like some kind of Czech ninja," John muttered.

Elizabeth's mouth quirked up briefly as she answered more diplomatically, "We are, actually. Is there something wrong?"

Radek shook his head. "I just wanted to warn you that Rodney is not in the best of moods today."

"Somebody question his intelligence again?" John asked.

The scientist chuckled. "No. But Danni Cordogan is making her rounds, checking supplies…and that means that she's in 'Rodney's' lab."

Elizabeth frowned. "Does Rodney have a problem with Danni?"

"She annoys him to no end. It's quite funny, actually. Aside from liking her personally, I also get a certain enjoyment out of watching her push his buttons."

They had reached the lab by then, and it was obvious to all that Rodney was not pleased. Rubbing his forehead in frustration, he let out a long sigh of relief when he saw Elizabeth and John step into the room.

"Oh, thank God," he said loudly, making the other scientists turn to look at him. "Elizabeth, you have to make them _stop_."

"Make who stop?"

He gestured across the room to two women who were standing with their backs to them. John smirked when he recognized them – it really wasn't a surprise that those two got along well together.

"Danni and Cadman," Rodney explained. "They've been doing nothing but distracting me for the past hour! I have important work to do –"

Elizabeth held up a hand. "Distracting you how, Rodney?"

"They've been," he took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself, "_singing_."

For a moment, they just stared at him in disbelief. When she had regrouped herself, though, Elizabeth tried to be as diplomatic as possible. "Are they bad singers?"

"On the contrary," Radek answered, not giving Rodney a chance to reply. "They're both quite good. It's been a pleasant change this morning to have them around."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it's wonderful for everyone else. But _I _ am actually trying to get some work done, and they just keep going, and going, and going –"

"I get the point, Rodney." She turned to the women. "Ladies?"

Cadman turned around, tapping Danni's shoulder as she did so, and they both pulled their headphones out.

"Morning, Dr. Weir," Danni greeted with a smile.

Elizabeth returned the smile. "Good morning. How goes the supply check?"

She shrugged. "Almost the same as last month. I'm almost done here."

"Good. Perhaps you could finish up with a little less…" she searched for an appropriate phrase, "musical expression?"

Cadman immediately shot Rodney a dirty look. "You seriously ratted us out to the teacher?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth could see John's eyes light up at that. She wondered if there was any chance she could convince him not to make schoolteacher jokes for the rest of the week. Knowing him, the odds didn't look good.

"It's not my fault you're being a nuisance," he defended. "Maybe now you can take your…_shenanigans_ elsewhere."

Cadman snorted. "I just think you're jealous we don't sing to _you_."

"Right. Because it's one of my goals in life to –"

"Rodney," Elizabeth said firmly, cutting him off. "What was it you wanted?"

He frowned. "What?"

"You called us down here," she reminded him. "Was there a reason?"

"Of course there was." He gestured to the women. "And you handled it splendidly. Thank you."

Her eyes went flat, while John crossed his arms over his chest. "You called us down here to make them stop singing?" he asked in disbelief.

Rodney stood a little straighter. "It was very annoying."

He rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "I've got a training session."

Elizabeth wasn't far behind him. "And I will be in my office. No more interruptions, Rodney, unless you want me to ask Danni and Cadman to give you an entire concert tomorrow."

The women grinned at that, but Rodney's eyes widened in apprehension. "You wouldn't. That's-that's…it's not fair!"

"No more interruptions," she said firmly.

As she left the room, he glared at Danni and Cadman. "I hate the two of you so very much."

Danni smirked. "We know," she assured him.

* * *

Danni was thoughtful as she walked into the conference room, not entirely sure of what to expect. She hadn't been terribly surprised when Elizabeth asked if she knew anything about the planet she was sending Sheppard's team to – that was why she had suggested it to him in the first place – but the invitation to their pre-mission briefing had caught her off-guard.

"I'm starting to think you're stalking me," John teased, taking a seat across from her.

"You knew I was going to be here."

"Of course I did. Elizabeth tells me everything."

Her eyebrows went up at that. "Everything?"

His eyes narrowed. "Why? Is there something you know that I don't?"

Danni smirked. "I know a great many things that you don't, Sheppard. I may even know more than –"

"What is she doing here?" Rodney groaned.

"Good morning, everyone," Elizabeth greeted as she walked in. Teyla and Ronon had joined somewhere along the way as well, and they all took their seats. "We –"

"What is she doing here?" Rodney repeated, this time pointing at Danni from his seat next to John.

"Thank you, Rodney, I was just going to get to that," Elizabeth replied, her tone slightly mocking. "Danni is here because she just happens to be our resident expert on local cultures."

"Since when?" he scoffed.

"Since she reads the Ancient database in her spare time. I've already questioned her about the planet you're going to today, so that we can avoid the problems of your last mission."

"Oh."

"That's why I think it's quite prudent to have someone with that knowledge with you –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. With us?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Yes, McKay," John said. "She's coming with us."

"But…why? Can't she just brief us here?"

"She could. But what if we – and by we, I mostly mean you – got ourselves into a tight spot with the local bigwigs? Danni could help us avoid getting shot at."

"If it makes you feel better," Danni offered, "I didn't realize I was going on the mission."

"I apologize for that," Elizabeth replied. "I was going to ask you before Rodney interrupted." She folded her hands in front of her on the table, studying the young woman. "Are you comfortable going off-world with Sheppard's team?"

Danni nodded. "I'm game." She shrugged. "The people of this planet are known for being peaceful and calm, but they do have cultural mores that they hold dear. I think I can keep us from offending anybody." Her eyes danced as she smirked at Rodney.

"Good." She turned to John. "Your team can leave within the hour?"

He nodded. "We're ready."

Elizabeth smiled. "Good luck, then."


	5. Chapter 5

Rodney sniffed as they made their way through the forest. "Primitive."

Danni rolled her eyes. "They're a simple people, Rodney."

"Exactly. So why are we here again?"

"Because we happen to be a little short on friends right now," John replied, leading them forward. "And Elizabeth wants us to have more friends."

"Tall order when you guys don't exactly play well with others," Danni murmured, her eyes dancing.

"Teyla does pretty good at the whole diplomatic thing."

"Yeah, but not even her powers of grace can offset a flyboy, a cranky scientist, and the Incredible Hulk."

John stopped and turned, eyeing Ronon critically. "He reminds me more of Chewbacca than the Hulk."

She thought about it for a second, tilting her head to the side. "Mmm. I see your point."

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Ronon asked, looking over at Teyla.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"I'll explain later," John promised, starting to walk again.

They didn't meet any resistance – or people in general – as they continued their journey. Rodney muttered under his breath, but no one really paid him any mind, and the rest of the group kept their attention on their surroundings.

Eventually, the trees around them began to thin out, and they found themselves entering a small village. The buildings were simple and sturdy, with dirt roads intersecting at regular intervals. The sun had begun its descent below the horizon, washing out the colors of the day and replacing them with a violet hue that bled into the ever-growing shadows.

They still hadn't seen a single person.

"So where are all these friends we're supposed to be making?" Ronon asked, eyes sweeping the empty streets.

Teyla's eyes were also searching. "I thought the people of this planet were supposed to be friendly."

Danni shrugged. "Maybe things have changed." _As things often do_, she thought.

"I've got life signs up ahead," Rodney said.

She nodded. "Tavern. If there are people here, that's usually a good place to start looking."

John led the way once again, with Teyla and Rodney right behind him. Danni brought up the rear with Ronon, her eyes still roving over the empty streets. This wasn't what she had expected at all. As Sheppard pushed open the heavy oak door, she thought she might have caught a glimpse of a small face around a distant corner, but then they were moving inside, and she couldn't get a second look.

The sound of weapons being raised and cocked caught her attention instead.

The tavern was decently sized, but it seemed cramped with the number of people inside. The windows were all shuttered, blocking out the little bit of light that could still be seen outside, and candles covered everything in a yellow glow, deepening the shadows even as it tried to push them back. A dozen men faced them, all on their feet, all with weapons in hand. Two men had come up behind them as well, blocking off any easy escape.

Every one of them stunk with fear.

"Hey, now," John said softly, trying to keep any aggression out of his voice. "We just came for a friendly visit."

One of the men sneered in disgust. "Tell Tragan that his tricks won't work! We will not hand the village over to him!"

"I would. Except that I don't know who Tragan is."

"Liar!"

"Guess that means you're not gonna lower that gun, then."

"We will protect our people," another man said, his voice calm as he gestured with his head to the women and children huddled behind them. "We have that right."

"You do," Teyla agreed. "But you have to understand that we have that right as well. We wish your people no harm. We come only as travelers."

The first man shook his head, and they could see that there was a slight shake to his hands. "We can't let them go – Rosen, you know this is something Tragan would try to trap us with!"

John definitely didn't like where this was going. "Look, I'm sure we can clear this little misunderstanding up –"

He shook his head, tightening his hold on his gun. "We can't let our people be hurt again."

Ronon and John shared a worried look as they both did the math. They were vastly outnumbered, and now they were being left with no choice. If they wanted to get out, they were going to have to cut through these people.

_The skies were pure and the fields were green,_

_And the sun was brighter than it's ever been._

The room froze as the voice cut through the air. Danni stepped out from behind Rodney, her eyes fixated on the man who had just spoken as she moved forward slowly.

_When I grew up with my best friend Kenny,_

_We were close as any brothers that you ever knew._

John wanted to ask her what the hell she was doing, but he couldn't make himself do anything but watch. The man in front of them flinched as though the words had physically struck him, and his hands began to shake again with fervor.

_It was always summer and the future called,_

_We were ready for adventure and we wanted them all._

_And there was so much left to dream,_

_And so much time to make it real._

Rodney was the first to get over his shock, but even as he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, Teyla reached out and put her hand on his arm, silencing him. Everyone's gaze was locked on Danni and the man as she stared him down, never letting her attention waver. He lowered his gun, though he didn't seem to realize that he was doing so, and tears stood in his eyes.

_But I can still recall the sting of all_

_The tears when he was gone._

_They said he crashed and burned_

_I know I'll never learn_

_Why any boy should die so young._

All of the villagers were staring at her in disbelief and awe, and one by one, every man lowered his gun.

_We were racing, we were soldiers of fortune._

_We got in trouble but we sure got around._

_There are times I think I see him peeling out of the dark -_

_I think he's right behind me now and he's gaining ground._

His knees gave out, and he sank down into the chair behind him. John lowered his own weapon as the tension in the room gave way to a grief he could feel in the pit of his stomach. These people had lost something, and Danni had managed to hit on it with her song. She stood over the man now, her expression gentle as her voice quieted.

_But it was long ago and it was far away._

_Oh, God, it seems so very far._

_And if life is just a highway_

_Then the soul is just a car._

The last notes disappeared into the silence, the candles even seeming to quiet their stuttering. The other man who had spoken – Rosen – took a hesitant step forward, looking at the visitors with new eyes.

"You have a Song Maiden," he said, his voice thick and his eyes shining.

John had no idea what he was talking about, but surprisingly, Ronon was the one who answered.

"We do. Like we said before, we're only travelers here. We don't know your Tragan."

Rosen nodded. "I can see the truth in your words now." He took a deep breath, turning to the woman who worked behind the bar. "Our guests will need dinner, Deera. And rooms so that they can freshen up."

The air in the tavern changed as people began to breathe again, words flying across in hushed tones as whispers. Danni moved back towards her team, not shying away from the incredulous looks John and Rodney gave her.

"A Song Maiden?" John asked, his eyebrows going up.

She shrugged. "Yep. I suggest we take the rooms and clean up before dinner. Seems like the polite thing to do."

With that, she turned and followed the young chambermaid that had appeared to their right, effectively ending the conversation. Deciding that it would be better to talk in private anyway, John signaled for the rest of them to do the same.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The song is "Don't Stop Dancing" by Creed**

* * *

Rodney was nearly bursting by the time they got to their rooms, and as soon as the door was closed, he whirled around to face Danni.

"Did I miss something?" he asked. "Since when does _singing_ solve anything?"

"I'm really starting to think you're just jealous that I'm not singing to _you_."

Rodney took a deep breath, obviously about to start in on a tirade, but John held up a weary hand. "Knock it off, both of you." He sighed. "Alright, Danni. What the hell happened down there? And what the hell is a Song Maiden?"

Danni thought she caught a small smirk on Ronon's face, but she didn't feel like addressing that. Instead, she walked over to the small desk in the room and leaned back against it.

"It's something I've come across in research on the different cultures. A few of them believe in something called a Song Maiden. There are different descriptions of her in the lore, but it seems like she's a young woman, somewhere in her twenties, who can read people. She takes what she sees, and instead of prophesying or counseling them, she sings. The song is supposed to reach them on a very personal level and reveal things about the person. She's considered sacred by these cultures."

John frowned. "And you're one of these Song Maiden thingies?"

She snorted. "Oh, hell no. But the situation down there was getting pretty dire, and since we're supposed to be making love instead of war, I decided to throw a Hail Mary."

"Wait a minute," Rodney interrupted. "You're impersonating a _sacred being_? Oh, how this could go badly, let me count the ways…"

"Right, because letting them start shooting at us was a much better plan," she retorted.

"Hey!" Everyone stopped and turned to look at John. "You saved us from a pretty tight spot back there," he agreed, "but McKay has a valid point. If you're supposed to be able to sing things that are relevant to these people, that could get us into some hot water, since you're not _actually_ what you're claiming to be."

Ronon shrugged. "That first song seemed to work pretty well."

"He has a point," Teyla said. "The song hit home for that man. They would not have otherwise called her a Song Maiden."

Rodney frowned. "But you don't actually have any powers, so how did you…?"

Danni shrugged. "Reading people isn't all that difficult, if you know what you're looking for. Those people pulled guns on us as soon as we walked through the door. They're terrified. They kept asserting their right to defend their people…which means they've probably already lost some. So I picked a sad song about losing a friend."

"That's not exactly what that song is about," John argued.

She bit back a comment on his knowledge of Meatloaf songs. "The lyrics of the first verse fit well enough."

"Regardless," Teyla said, stepping in quietly. "It saved us from having a very unpleasant confrontation downstairs. We should be careful, but I do not think this is a bad development."

Ronon nodded. "Agreed."

Danni smiled. "Good. Teyla and I should go get cleaned up then. Our rooms are next door."

"Thirty minutes," John said. "Then we'll meet back up and head down."

"Thirty minutes," Teyla confirmed, following the other woman out the door.

* * *

John tried to keep from fidgeting as he waited for Teyla and Danni to come back. It wasn't any one thing that he could put his finger on, but he was very uncomfortable with their current situation. They had managed to get themselves trapped in the middle of an internal conflict between these people, and now Danni was impersonating one of their sacred legends. As much as John hated to admit it, McKay was right – this could go wrong in a million different ways.

There was a quiet knock at the door, and then it was opening, letting Teyla and Danni back into the room. John's eyebrows immediately shot up.

"They gave you a dress?"

Danni rolled her eyes, hands unconsciously smoothing the gown. It was simple – blue fabric with long sleeves and a wide neckline – but she didn't look the least bit out of place in it. She carried herself with the grace and dignity he had come to expect from Teyla, coolly ignoring the ridiculous expression on Rodney's face.

"Apparently sacred beings get to wear pretty dresses," she replied. "Can't argue too much with that theory."

Ronon shrugged. "At least they didn't make Teyla change, too. Kinda hard to hide a weapon in there."

The dress was fairly form-fitting, but Danni arched an eyebrow at him. "Assuming a woman isn't armed is a pretty dangerous stance to take, Ronon."

"You're not, though," Rodney blurted out.

She turned the eyebrow on him, her lips turning upward in a decidedly un-ladylike smirk. John sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. If every mission was going to turn into a verbal sparring match between McKay and Danni, he was going to need a big bottle of ibuprofen.

"Perhaps we should go down and join the villagers for their meal," Teyla suggested. "I am sure they are waiting for us."

"Good idea," John agreed readily, anxious to be out of the room.

They made their way down the stairs, John and Teyla leading, while Rodney and Ronon brought up the rear. He wasn't sure if Danni had stayed in the center by design or if it had simply been coincidence, but it certainly looked as though they were taking a protective stance around her. He kept his eyes on the people filling the tavern, but there seemed to be no threat now. The tension that had filled the air earlier wasn't completely gone, but there was an ease and comfort he hadn't been expecting. These people continued to do nothing but confuse him.

Once they had reached the main floor, Danni immediately broke off from them, eliciting a quiet curse from John. Just because there didn't appear to be any danger didn't mean that they were safe, and he wanted to keep a close eye on her. Ronon caught his attention, though, and nodded, letting him know that he was on it. The big man stayed close behind her, not interfering with her movements, but making sure he was within arm's reach.

"Look at them," Rodney said in wonder as they sat down at one of the round tables. "They're crowding around her like she's some kind of healer!"

"Perhaps they feel she can heal their spirits," Teyla said. "These are a broken people – weary from a conflict we do not yet understand. A Song Maiden signals hope. She cannot fix their current situation, but she may be able to ease some of their pain."

"What about the Athosians?" John asked, his eyes locked on Danni as a small child crawled up into her lap. "Is the Song Maiden a part of your culture?"

"She is mentioned. Though it has been many years since the histories have recorded her presence. She is mostly known to us as one who comforts children." She nodded at the small crowd around Danni. "Much like she seems to be doing now."

Rodney sighed. "But she's not –"

"Quiet, McKay!" John hissed. "Now is _not_ the time."

The scientist clamped his mouth shut, and John moved his attention back to Danni. She was singing again, her voice soft as it filled the room. He hadn't really noticed it the first time, since he had been busy staring down a bunch of guns, but her voice was beautiful.

_At times life is wicked,_

_And I just can't see the light._

He felt himself calming, and he shook his head in disbelief. He knew that she wasn't one of these Song Maidens, that she didn't have any of the powers attributed to them. And yet the tension was easing out of him, and he felt comforted in a way he couldn't readily describe.

_Children, don't stop dancing,_

_Believe you can fly away._

The defiant look had even left Rodney's face, and John wondered if his entire team was feeling the effects of her voice. Teyla smiled softly and leaned a bit closer.

"Hope is a very powerful thing, John."

His eyes moved back to Danni. It was, indeed.

* * *

"Not bad," John said, leaning against the door of her room.

Danni looked up. "Excuse me?"

"Down there." He pushed off from the wood, sliding his hands into his pockets as he moved closer. "You handled that crowd pretty well."

She shrugged, pulling down the bed sheets. "It wasn't hard to figure out that they needed something other than war to focus on. Even if it was just for a little while." She looked up, eyes locking with his. "Don't tell me you plan on playing guard all night. I only just got Ronon to go away."

He tried to look innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's pretty hard to miss a hovering Ronon," she pointed out. "And you're not very subtle, either. No wonder you drive Dr. Weir crazy."

"Hey, now –"

Her smile was quiet and tired. "Teyla will be here in a few minutes. I'd like to get changed and go to bed."

John sighed, thinking about it for a minute. "Fine." He pointed to her. "Don't go getting into any trouble, though."

"I'd like to point out that I have yet to get in trouble on this mission, Colonel."

"Dangerous words." He paused on his way out, hesitating slightly. "Thanks." When she looked at him in confusion, he shrugged. "For keeping us from getting shot."

She smirked. "Anytime."

He nodded once and then left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Danni let out a long sigh when she was alone, running a hand through her long blonde curls. They had indeed managed to stay out of trouble so far, but she was tired. The pain among the villagers had been palpable, and it weighed on her even now. She just wanted to go to sleep and let everything fade away for a little while.

A light breeze moved through the open window, and the unwashed odor that hit her was the only warning she had. A hand clamped over her mouth with a dirty rag, and even as she tried to fight, the fumes from the cloth swarmed her head.

The room faded to black as her body went limp.


	7. Chapter 7

Her head ached and swam in turns, making her dizzy and nauseous. It didn't take much to realize that she had been drugged with something, even if she couldn't put a name to it. Her senses started to come back to her, and she felt the damp cold of a stone floor beneath her, pressing into her palms and face. The chill had seeped through her dress as well, and the soft shoes she was wearing did nothing to protect her feet.

It was no wonder that she was shivering.

Pressing her hands harder into the floor, Danni struggled to push herself up. The dark room tilted dangerously as her stomach flipped, but she managed to get into a sitting position, leaning against the wall behind her. A thick metal scraping as she tried to pull her feet closer confirmed that she was bound, captured.

"Guess I managed to get myself into trouble," she muttered.

"She's awake."

The voice was rough and low, and came from somewhere to her left. Danni turned her head slowly in that direction, keeping her voice as calm as she could with the drug still fogging her brain.

"Indeed I am," she said, wishing she didn't sound so groggy. "You're an idiot, by the way."

The man snorted, and she would have bet that he was sneering at her. "Why? Because I took a Song Maiden?"

His tone was mocking, and Danni glared in his general direction. "You're not afraid of what happens to people who mess with sacred beings?"

"You're a pawn, girlie. Rosen considers you to be sacred. Which means he'll do just about anything to keep us from killing you. He won't fight to free you – he'll simply give in to our demands."

She decided to take a shot in the dark. "Trust me, Tragan…Rosen is not the man you should be worrying about right now."

There was a quiet scuff of boot against stone, and then there was a hand in her hair, roughly yanking her head back. "How do you know me?"

Danni ignored the question and the pain lancing through her scalp. "Rosen might want to compromise, but my companion won't. You kidnapped me – and he doesn't do well with losing people."

A wave of foul breath rolled over her face warmly, and she realized that her eyes were adjusting to the dark. A face loomed over hers, unshaven and angry, the eyes slightly wild.

"I will kill any man that comes against me," he growled.

Danni smirked, despite the fact that her eyes were watering from the tightness of his grip. "You've obviously never met John Sheppard," she taunted.

Tragan stared at her for a moment longer and then hurled her back towards the ground. Her hands flew out and slammed into the stone, keeping her face from meeting the same fate. She had no idea how many men Tragan had, or if John would able to go against them in order to free her. Right now, she was just angry, and egging her captor on was the only thing that was making her feel better.

Footsteps echoed as Tragan moved away from her, and she heard a door open across the room. "We leave in four hours," he said shortly, and then he was gone.

* * *

John slammed the door behind him, stomping into the room. "Nothing. She couldn't have been alone for more than five minutes." He kicked at the desk. "Dammit!"

Ronon stood tensely in a corner, but Teyla stepped forward, resting her hand on John's shoulder. "We will find her. The villagers suspect that it was this Tragan who took her, to use her as a bargaining chip. We will start there."

"What's his deal, anyway?" Ronon asked.

John sighed, hands on his hips. "The Wraith. Tragan had some pretty heartless ideas on how to deal with them – mostly by sacrificing little girls and old people, since he considers them useless. The village split, and he took a bunch of like-minded Neanderthals with him when he left."

"So now he's trying to take control?"

He nodded. "Hard to execute a plan like that if you don't have any people to offer to the Wraith."

"I told you this was a bad idea," Rodney said. "If she just hadn't pretended to be this Song Maiden thing –"

"We might have been shot earlier this evening," Teyla interjected. "Blaming her would do no good, Rodney. We have to focus on getting her back."

"Which means we need to find Tragan," John said. "It all comes back to him."

There was a nervous knock on the door, and he placed his hand on his holstered gun before opening it to find Rosen standing there.

"He's contacted us."

"Tragan?"

Rosen nodded. "He wants to trade."

"Let me guess," Ronon said, stepping forward, "power for Danni."

"Yes." He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Many of us will not survive if we let him have the village. But we cannot allow a Song Maiden to be killed, either."

"She's one of ours," John said firmly. "She's not dying. Did this Tragan set up a meeting?"

"Yes. Four hours, in the field outside our village. He wants all of our men there, unarmed."

John cursed under his breath. Tragan would most likely be coming from the forest, just as they had done. They had crossed that field on their way in, and there was nowhere for them to hide men or set a trap.

"The unarmed part is up to you. But my team goes in with weapons."

Rosen clasped his hands in front of him and took a deep breath. "We knew all along that this would come down to a fight. Perhaps now we can have a resolution." He shrugged. "Or a revolution. Either way, our people are tired of hiding. This must end."

Teyla's expression was gentle. "We will do what we can to help you."

"And we will do everything in our power to get your Song Maiden returned to you safely." He reached out for John's hand, shaking it firmly. "May this coming day shine brightly on both of our causes."

As Rosen left the room, Rodney looked around at his companions. "So what are the chances of us actually saving Danni, defeating Tragan, and not dying in some civil war?"

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder with a wicked smile. "Not as bad as you'd think, McKay."

* * *

The day wasn't shining at all. As John and his team moved out with the other men from the village, he kept checking the horizon, waiting for the sun to make its appearance. A dull grey filled the sky instead, thick clouds rolling in and making the colors of the world around them look flat and dull. There would be no sun that morning.

He hoped that wasn't foreshadowing.

They didn't carry their weapons openly. John was tempted to walk up and just start shooting these guys, but that would lead to heavy casualties on their side as well. Any life aside from his own was obviously not important to Tragan, and men like that were dangerous.

They met them in the middle of the field, Tragan and his people holding their guns at the ready. John's eyes immediately sought out Danni, relieved when he saw her conscious and unharmed. He was fiercely proud when he saw that she wasn't letting any fear show – she looked more annoyed than anything else.

"You came," Tragan called. His eyes shifted away from the villagers. "And you brought friends."

John pointed at Danni. "She goes with us."

"Only if Rosen hands the village over."

"I cannot do that, Tragan," Rosen said quietly, his voice heavy with sadness and determination. "I cannot hand our people over to you to be sacrificed to the Wraith."

He shrugged. "Then the Song Maiden dies."

His foot shot out swiftly, and he kicked out the back of Danni's legs. She fell to her knees with a sharp cry, freezing when she felt a gun pressed to the side of her head. The sound of weapons being pulled reached her ears, though, and she looked around to see her teammates and the villagers facing off with Tragan's men.

"I will put a bullet in her head."

John's eyes were flat and hard. "Let her go, Tragan. Or you won't see another morning."

He sneered at him. "You think your aim is that good?"

"I know mine is," Ronon said.

They were evenly matched. Danni knew that the second someone pulled the trigger, bullets would go flying, and people would start dying. Tragan was determined to win that village whatever the cost, fueled by his fears of the Wraith.

The drug they had knocked her out with had finally worn off, and her mind was mercifully clear. Glancing up, she watched the way the clouds thickened, catching sight of lightning deep inside of them. The storm would be on top of them in just a couple of minutes.

These were a superstitious people, and right now, that was the only leverage she had against them. Bracing herself, preparing for the shot that might very well put an end to her, she straightened her shoulders and locked eyes with John.

_It's too late, I've got to go_

At the sound of her voice, dozens of gazes swung to her. Danni knew that John at least would recognize the song, but she hoped that he and Rodney could keep it to themselves.

_Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time_

"It is a sign," Rosen said gravely. "Do not pursue this, Tragan. Nothing good can come from it."

_Goodbye, everybody – I've got to go._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth_

Tragan's men began to share nervous looks, a couple of the younger ones beginning to take a step back. Tragan raised his gun until it was aimed at them.

"Don't," he growled.

_Mama, oooh_

The wind picked up, rain starting to fall from the clouds. Danni pushed herself to her feet slowly, refusing to flinch, even when Tragan swung his weapon back toward her.

_I don't wanna die. Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all_

A flash of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a crashing peal of thunder. Everyone jumped at the sudden roar, but Danni swung her right arm as hard as she could, catching Tragan in the throat. The blow sent him reeling backwards as he dropped his gun, the metal splashing as the torrential rain turned the ground to mud.

He didn't stop, though. A hand reached behind him to pull out another gun, his hate-filled eyes burning a hole right through her.

She almost didn't hear the gun shots over the storm, but she saw Tragan's body jerk painfully three times before he fell to his knees. The life was gone from his eyes before his hand let go of the second weapon, and then he fell forwards, face buried in the mud.

There was no fight after that. The fear that Tragan had led his men with was lying dead at their feet, and they were trapped between the thunder and an enraged John Sheppard. The colonel was already at her side, flanked by Ronon and Teyla, his eyes daring anyone else to try something.

"Rosen," he said roughly, "I take it your men can handle it from here?"

The older man nodded, and the villagers surrounded Tragan's people, their own weapons drawn. "We can indeed, Colonel Sheppard. Thank you."

John didn't even acknowledge him, his eyes boring into Danni's. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I –"

Rodney pointed at her. "You're bleeding."

Danni frowned, looking down in confusion. A red spot was slowly staining her dress on her right hip.

"Dammit," John hissed, but she raised a hand to stop him.

Gently, she pulled apart the ripped fabric of her dress, taking a closer look at the wound. There was no hole, no bullet buried inside of her. It had grazed her, slicing through her skin on the way by – Tragan had apparently gotten a shot off before John had finished him off.

"I'm fine," she repeated, touching her fingers to his jaw to make him look at her face. "It's barely even a flesh wound."

John seemed startled at the intimacy of the contact, his eyes going wide. He shook his head and stepped back slightly, scowling. "You're seeing Carson as soon as we get back." Stepping back, he turned away, shaking his head as he began to walk back toward the village. "Elizabeth is gonna kill me," he muttered.


	8. Chapter 8

Despite Danni's objections, John alerted Atlantis that they would need a medical team standing by for their arrival. Elizabeth didn't say anything, but he could hear the tight worry in her voice, and in his mind, he could see it on her face as well. This was supposed to be one of the missions that went right, especially with a cultural expert along for the ride. It seemed that nothing ever went according to plan in the Pegasus galaxy.

He glanced back at Danni, who was sitting with Teyla in the rear of the jumper. She really had saved them from a sticky situation with the villagers, and though she had been taken, she had still kept a cool head. Her song had distracted Tragan, and she had even managed to land a blow. She certainly wasn't useless in the field or with the people that they encountered.

He could still see the blood staining her dress, though, and his jaw clenched. He wasn't sure why he was worrying so much about her, but there was something that made him want to protect her. It wasn't quite the same as his need to look out for the rest of his team, and it wasn't the same as his desperate need to keep Elizabeth safe, either. He didn't have any words for it – he just needed her to be okay.

Elizabeth was there with Carson and his medical staff as they walked out of the jumper. There was relief in her eyes when she saw all of them standing on their own two feet, but it didn't take her long to see the blood, either.

"I'm fine," Danni said immediately, trying to head off any objections to the contrary.

Carson wouldn't have any of it, though. "I'm the only one qualified to be the judge of that," he said firmly. He pointed at the stretcher. "Lay down."

"Seriously?"

"Just do it," John said, surprised at the harshness of his voice.

She rolled her eyes at him, but stretched out on the bed. Carson did a cursory check of her wound before smiling down at her.

"And may I just say, my dear, that you look lovely in blue?"

Without another word, she was wheeled toward the infirmary. Once they were gone, Elizabeth turned to the rest of the team.

"Is anyone else hurt?"

Teyla shook her head, answering for all of them. "We are fine. Perhaps a little tired, but nothing more."

Elizabeth nodded. "Go. Get some rest. We'll talk once Carson tells us how Danni is doing."

As everyone else moved off, her eyes met John's. The gaze lasted only a few short seconds, but as it usually happened with them, that was all that was needed for her to communicate with him. She turned to walk down the hall, and he immediately fell into step beside her, the familiarity easing some of the tension out of him.

"These were supposed to be a peaceful people," she said, the question obvious in her voice.

He nodded. "And I imagine they usually are…when they're not embroiled in a civil war."

She sighed, her eyes closing briefly. "Something that wouldn't be in the Ancient database."

"Exactly. And for what it's worth, Danni handled herself well. I'm pretty sure she saved us from getting shot at least twice."

She heard the note of pride in his voice, but let it pass. "But we didn't make any friends."

"I wouldn't say that. The villagers were very thankful, and made lots of flowery speeches about friendship while we tried to leave." John shrugged. "I just wouldn't count on them for a lot of help in a battle. They've got their own problems to deal with."

She nodded, her eyes sliding over to him as they continued to walk. "You okay?"

He grimaced slightly. "I'm just not a big fan of one of my people having a gun pressed to her head. Makes me cranky."

He was deflecting with humor, but this was ground they had trodden often, and she smiled at him. "You're all home now, though."

John only nodded, but she could feel more tension leave him. Letting the subject drop for the time being, they continued to walk through the city.

* * *

She managed to convince Carson that she didn't need stitches, but he insisted on thoroughly cleaning and bandaging the wound. He was such a mother hen, and she couldn't help but laugh at him. She could see why Laura was so attached to him – he was that guy that frustrated you and made you feel like you were home all at the same time.

Just as he stepped out of the room – promising her an antibacterial to keep the slice clean – someone else stepped in.

"A Song Maiden, huh?"

She looked up in surprise to see Major Lorne standing there, arms crossed and an amused smirk tugging at his lips. She hadn't spoken to him much beyond polite passes in the hallways, but she knew he was one of the few people John trusted.

"Any port in a storm," she defended.

"I also heard you decked a guy."

Danni shrugged. "He pointed a gun at my head. In all fairness, I think I went pretty easy on him."

"And managed to get yourself shot in the process."

She sighed. "What is it with you military boys? It's a graze."

"Doesn't change the fact that you got shot."

She gave him a mock glare. "Did John put you up to this?"

Lorne shrugged. "Colonel Sheppard wanted me to come down here and check on you. Make sure you didn't sneak out before the doc gave you the all clear."

Danni laughed. "Have you ever seen anyone successfully evade Carson?"

He shook his head. "Not even Ronon."

"Now that's saying something." She slid off the bed, wincing slightly as it pulled at her cut.

"Any chance you'd help an injured woman to the mess?"

"That is exactly what he's going to do," Carson said, bustling back into the room and handing her the ointment. "And then he's going to make sure you get some rest."

"Looks like you've got your orders," she said to Lorne.

He smiled at her. "Must be my lucky day. I never get stuck taking care of the pretty girls."

"You say that now. Just give me a few hours. I'm sure I can drive you batty."

"Trust me. Nobody is worse than McKay."

Danni laughed, waving to Carson as she walked out with Lorne. "That I can believe."

* * *

It took her a few hours, but Danni eventually managed to convince Major Lorne that she was tired and heading for bed. It wasn't completely a lie, either – she was worn out from the past couple of days, and she knew that sleep was exactly what she needed. She couldn't quite shake her restlessness, though, and she soon slipped out of her room once more, wandering the halls of Atlantis.

Most everyone was settling down for the night, but she found a few burning the midnight oil. Dr. Weir was holed up in her office with paperwork, her shoulders tight as she went through reports and filled out forms. Rodney was still in his lab, muttering to himself as he moved between three different computers. Ronon and Teyla were in the mess, talking quietly with Carson and Radek. Everyone exactly where she expected them to be.

She found John pummeling a practice dummy in the sparring room. His t-shirt was soaked through with sweat, and she could see that he was starting to tire. He didn't pull back, though, and she leaned against the wall for a few minutes, just watching him. When he eventually took a break to catch his breath again, she decided to interrupt him.

"Still angry with me?"

He turned in surprise before shrugging and looking away. "I'm not angry with you. I was just…worried."

Danni frowned. "So, when you're worried about Elizabeth, you hover. When you're worried about McKay, you pace. And when you're worried about me, you…pummel things?"

"Well, since I'm fresh out of people to pummel…" His humor fell flat, and he grimaced. "He shouldn't have gotten to you."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't even go for the guilt complex, Sheppard. This wasn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have left you alone."

"Right. Because now you're a fortune teller? Seriously, John. You had no way of knowing Tragan was going to take me. And when he did, you cowboy'd up and came to rescue me. A girl couldn't ask for much more."

He knew she was right. It didn't exactly take care of the knot in the pit of his stomach, but his breathing started to come a little easier, and he realized how tired he was. He turned again and took a good look at her. She was obviously dressed for bed, in a pair of black pants and a black tank top – he imagined she got rid of Lorne by convincing him she was going to sleep – and her long blonde curls were a little wild as they danced around her shoulders and down her back. Something tugged at him, just like it did every other time he really looked at her, but he still couldn't put his finger on it.

Danni's small smile was knowing. "You should go. Elizabeth is probably on the balcony by now."

He barely had time to register her words before she walked out of the room.

* * *

"You're up late."

John smirked as he stepped out onto the balcony and joined her. "Have you heard the story about the pot and the kettle?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It sounds familiar."

They stared out at the stars for a long time, the semi-silence wrapping around them and protecting them like a cocoon. Shoulders just barely touching, they listened to the water move beneath them, and the city settle into sleep. Not for the first time, Elizabeth marveled at how quickly Atlantis had become home.

"You think people will ever stop trying to kill us?" John asked suddenly, frowning as he stared out into the darkness.

She turned her head to look at him, eyes running across his jawline and down his neck, finally settling on his shoulders – the shoulders she knew carried too much already.

"Probably not," she replied honestly. Shrugging, she turned back to the water. "I think you'd get bored, anyway."

"Well, yeah, right now," he said. "But I might wanna grow old someday."

It was a thought she usually stayed away from, and she had to close her eyes for a moment to keep from imagining it. Daydreaming would get her nowhere – not when she had a city to run and people to keep safe.

"You and me both, John," she murmured, her voice almost disappearing into the dark water below.

It almost sounded like a wish, a half-promise. John nodded, sealing the deal, and they stayed there, watching the stars.


	9. Chapter 9

She stared out over the city, the lights shining against the darkness like the beacon she imagined they were supposed to be. The Ancients had built their city on a grand scale, showing off their ingenuity and progressive culture. And for thousands of years, it had been just that.

She wondered, not for the first time, how painful the moment had been when they realized that their time was over.

There was a soft footfall behind her, and she knew that it was him. Everyone had a different feel to their approach, an air of anticipation – his was heavy with responsibility, but she could almost feel his smirk as well.

"Heard a rumor you were evading Carson."

"A rumor, huh?"

John came up to stand beside her, leaning his arms on the railing. "Ronon's very put out. Turns out he's not very successful in escaping the doc."

Danni shrugged, smiling over at him. "I'm better at sneaking and misdirection."

He chuckled. "That would explain it." His eyes dropped down to her waist before coming back to her face, but she had seen the flash of guilt there. "How's it healing?"

"I'm fine," she said firmly. "It's practically gone. You boys get so worked up about these things."

"About civilians bleeding? Yeah, it tends to put us on edge. We're irrational about stuff like that."

Her smirk widened. "As long as you're aware." She was quiet for a moment, feeling the tension that still sat in the air. "I really am fine."

He grimaced. "I know." Standing up straighter, his hands clasped the railing, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed. "I'm not really sure why it bothers me so much."

"You care. It's not a bad thing." Danni shrugged. "Besides, we're running buddies and I'm on your team. We're almost friendly enough to be friends, aren't we?"

John nodded. "Yeah, I guess we are." He shook his head almost immediately, though. "Why does it feel like I know you better than I do?"

She was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly thinking about his question. "Maybe we knew each other in another life."

He turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You really believe in that?"

Danni laughed. "No. But it seemed like the appropriate thing to say."

"Fair enough."

They fell silent again, looking out over the water. Danni let out a quiet sigh – she didn't have a lot of friends, and it had been a long time since she'd gotten to know people. She loved the banter and the teasing, but this was what she had really missed – just being with someone and feeling better because they were there. It was a feeling that not much else could rival.

"You can tell Lorne to stop hovering, by the way," she finally said.

John's eyebrows shot up. "He was off the hook for that two days ago." He grinned at her. "He likes you."

Danni glared at him. "Watch it, Sheppard."

His face was the epitome of innocence. "What? I was simply pointing out a simple fact…"

"And there are plenty of simple facts I could point out about you and Dr. Weir."

He paused. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right," Danni said with a smirk. "You just follow her around like a smitten teenage boy…"

"Alright, alright, alright. That's enough out of you."

"As long as we're on the same page." She tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "So…"

"So?"

"You still gonna let me play on your team?"

He slid his eyes over to her. "Well…" He shrugged. "Yeah. 'Lizabeth and I decided that you're pretty useful. So you get to stay." His grin was sudden and earnest. "Besides, it'll drive McKay _nuts_."

Danni just laughed and shook her head.

* * *

Rodney sighed as they trudged through another jungle. "I still don't understand why you're here."

Danni rolled her eyes. "I'm part of the team, Rodney."

"Yes, as the 'cultural expert'," he said, contempt heavy in his voice. "But this planet is uninhabited!"

"Supposedly."

"Excuse me?"

"The database _says_ that nobody lives here. But it's been a long time since it's been updated – anybody could have moved in and started calling this place home." She paused. "Besides, if there are no people here, there's probably no technology here, which means _you're_ pretty useless as well."

The scientist opened his mouth in protest, but John turned around and glared at them both. "Seriously?  
Every time?"

Danni nodded. "Yep."

"Why?"

"Well…you're all busy being the leader. Teyla's too nice. And teasing Ronon seems like the equivalent of poking a bear with a stick."

The big man grunted, and Danni smiled. "See?"

Before John could reply, Teyla held up a hand, her face anxious and tight. "We are not alone."

Everyone tensed. "Wraith?" Ronon asked, his voice low.

"I believe so."

That was all the warning they had. The jungle was suddenly alive with movement, the Wraith seeming to appear out of nowhere. Shots rang out, and everyone dove for cover, Sheppard yelling at them to get down.

There was nowhere to hide, though. The jungle didn't provide enough protection from their enemies' weapons, and it wasn't long before John was ordering them to run. They hadn't been standing too closely together, and the Wraith were able to get between them, splitting the group. Danni found herself racing through the trees with Rodney, three Wraith pounding the earth behind them. Turning and making a stand would have been suicide, and without even speaking, they simply ran.

Danni was impressed with the scientist. He may not have looked like it, but the man could run, and they both proved to be swifter than the monsters chasing them. After jumping a fallen tree, she tugged on him to signal that they should take a break, her ears straining for any sounds of pursuit.

"Holy shit," Rodney breathed. "Where the hell did they come from? And why are they here? This is an uninhabited planet –"

"Maybe they're the new inhabitants," Danni muttered.

He frowned. "But why?"

"What do you do when you're trying to conquer people?" she asked, her attention almost completely focused on the area around them as her eyes scanned the landscape. "You go in, you remove the threat, and then you leave a force there to make sure nobody takes it back from you. Conquer, claim, continue on."

His frown deepened as he thought his way through her words. "You mean like a military outpost?"

"Makes traveling to new planets a hell of a lot easier."

Rodney groaned. "Oh, that would be bad on epic proportions."

"Serious understatement." She looked around one more time, assuring herself that they were alone. "We've gotta find the others."

Rodney's hand went up to his radio, but all they got was empty static on the other end. Either they had lost their radios, or they were too busy with the Wraith to answer. "Oh crap."

"We gotta move."

"Where? They ran in a different direction. They could be anywhere. I don't even remember which way we ran!"

"I do," she said firmly. "And we can't just leave them, Rodney. You know that."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know. It doesn't make the idea any less insane, though."

He pulled a 9mm out, and Danni raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea how to use that thing?"

"Yes."

"Are you any good with it?"

Rodney made a face. "Well, no."

She held out her hand. "Give." He just stared at her, and a few seconds later, Danni simply snatched it out of his hands. "Let's go."

She hadn't given the Wraith enough credit. They didn't make it a hundred yards before two stepped out from behind a tree, one of them grabbing McKay and slamming him into a tree. The scientist fell to the ground, unconscious, and the two creatures leered at Danni.

The one who had knocked out Rodney began to circle her. "I believe you're the one I'm looking for."

Danni raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Oh, really? Does that pickup line work on all the Wraith babes?"

The snark was lost on him. "There are those of us who have been entrusted with finding you. A blonde woman traveling with the one they call Sheppard."

"Damn," she muttered. "One mission and I'm already famous."

"We have our spies everywhere."

"So…what? You're supposed to bring me in?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. Not on the agenda today."

He laughed. "There is only one of you. You cannot fight off the both of us."

Danni gave him a cold grin. "A common misconception."

It was the other Wraith, the one that hadn't spoken, that ran at her first. She ducked his charge easily, stepping to the side and kicking him in the face with enough force to send him to the ground. A quick spin on her heel brought her face-to-face with her other opponent. His hand was already outstretched though, and his fingers attached themselves to her chest in one swift mood. There was a cruel grin on his face as she winced in pain.

"I'll only take a taste," he promised. "I have orders to bring you in alive."

Danni grimaced, her skin burning slightly where he touched her. But the pain didn't go any deeper than that, and the Wraith's smile began to fade.

Then the burning reversed.

He snatched his hand away as quickly as he could, but it was already too late. It lanced up his arm, eating away at him and he fell to his knees, staring up at her in confusion as he began to scream.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, leaning over him. "Did I forget to mention that I'm like poison to you bitches?"

Lifting one foot, she kicked him onto his back. Then she pulled out the gun and put two bullets in his head, turning just in time to see his companion finally fighting his way back to the feet. Danni didn't hesitate. Two more bullets and he was down as well, leaving her in a quiet jungle once again.

She turned from the bodies and went to Rodney. He was still unconscious, but his pulse was steady, and she knew that he would be okay.

Her hand went straight to her radio. "Sheppard?"

This time there was a burst of static before she heard his voice. "Danni! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Rodney got knocked out, though. What about you guys?"

"Some close calls, but we'll be alright. We're tracking your path now." He paused. "Do you have a gun?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Then sit tight and we'll be there soon. Sheppard out."

Danni glanced down at the bodies behind her. They would draw a lot of questions, ones that she wasn't ready to answer yet. Sticking the gun in the back waistband of her pants, she picked one of the Wraith up by his shoulders and dragged him off into the trees. She took the second one in a different direction, being vigilant about obliterating the drag marks in the dirt. She hastily zipped up her jacket and had only just knelt beside Rodney again when the rest of the team showed up.

"What happened?" John asked.

"A tree," she responded, the half-lie coming easily. When the others just stared at her, she shrugged. "We were running."

Ronon was already chuckling, the sound deep in his chest. "Only McKay."

Teyla didn't look as amused. "We should leave. We may not be so lucky if the Wraith have a larger presence here."

"Can't you sense them?" John asked.

She shook her head, frustrated. "No. Something is blocking me."

"Then we go," he said firmly. "You think you can carry him?" he asked Ronon.

"I got him."

He easily lifted McKay off the ground and slung him over his shoulder. Danni fell in with the rest of the group as they warily made their way back to the jumper.

"You're sure you're okay?" John asked, his voice low.

She nodded, refraining from lifting her hand to the wounds her jacket held. "I'm good."

She never once looked back toward the bodies.


	10. Chapter 10

Elizabeth frowned, sitting up higher in her chair. "Wraith? What would they be doing on that planet?"

Sheppard's team sat around the conference table, all wearing grim expressions. Rodney fingered the bandage on his head, still muttering under his breath. Carson may have let him out of the infirmary, but the scientist was still confused about how he had hit his head on a tree. He could have sworn there hadn't been any low-hanging branches…

"Military outpost," Danni said, voicing the one option no one wanted to honestly consider.

"We can't be sure of that," John replied.

"Yeah, we can," Ronon interjected, sitting with his arms crossed over his chest. "The Wraith aren't explorers. They conquer. They kill."

"Maybe they were culling."

"They don't leave their ships for that."

"You didn't see any buildings?" Elizabeth asked.

John shook his head. "We didn't have a chance. They surrounded us in the jungle."

Elizabeth frowned, turning to Teyla. "And you didn't sense them?"

It was obvious that the Athosian woman was confused and frustrated with herself. "Not until it was too late," she said, her voice low. It was as though I were being…blocked."

"You don't do that unless you've got something to hide," Danni pointed out.

Rodney held up a finger. "Um, so does that mean that they knew Teyla was there and could reach out with her mind? Because that's not very comforting."

Silence fell over the group, each one of them well aware of how bad that would be for them. The larger implications of the Wraith activity were even worse, and more than one person at the table shifted uncomfortably.

"It's gotta be big," John finally said. "Whatever they're planning."

"There might be no plan," Rodney said hopefully. "It could have just been bad luck. Or, you know, your standard Sheppard luck. I mean, the Wraith aren't exactly known for their chess-playing abilities."

"They're savages, not idiots," Danni argued. "The Ancients are gone, but they're well aware of the fact that Atlantis is under new management. We're a threat, and they know it."

"Not to mention a highway to a bigger food source," Elizabeth finished grimly. "Alright. The _Daedalus_ is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. We'll pull Colonel Caldwell in and discuss our options. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded and then got up to leave. John stayed behind, sitting on the edge of the table as he looked at Elizabeth.

"Well, this is shaping up to be a great week."

Still in her chair, she leaned her elbows on the table. "We don't have a lot of options."

"And none of them are this side of sane." He looked at her more closely, his eyes narrowed. "Are you okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Just tired."

"You know, they've got something for that now. It's called sleep."

She smirked at him. "Really? I was starting to think that was just a myth."

John slid off the table, smiling. "You know, it turns out food is more than just a myth, too."

"Is that your oh-so-subtle way of telling me we're going to lunch?"

He winked at her. "You know me so well."

"Lucky me," she murmured as she walked past him, her eyes dancing.

* * *

Danni wondered what it was about attractive military men that hooked her. Though there had been a few civilian men in her life, most of the ones she spent her time with were career-military, defense and war pumping through their veins like lifeblood. They were protective, brave, fierce…

Whatever it was, it coursed through her veins as well.

Leaning against the door frame, she watched as Lorne and a Marine circled each other slowly. The different branches of military that occupied Atlantis worked well together when they needed to, but they also couldn't help themselves when it came to a bit of friendly competition, either. Jokes she didn't always entirely understand snapped between them, and there were often physical sparring matches between them.

Danni almost felt bad for the Marine facing Lorne. The major might not be as tall as Sheppard or as broad as Ronon, but that didn't seem to put him at a disadvantage. He was quick and agile, and his poor opponent simply couldn't keep up.

When Lorne flipped him for the third time, she let out a quiet chuckle. She could tell he was holding back, but his smile was easy and open as he helped the younger soldier back up.

"Enjoying the show?"

He had meant to scare her, but Danni just turned and looked at John with a raised eyebrow. "Simply killing time before the _Daedalus_ arrives." She shrugged. "And it's a pretty good show."

Sheppard folded his arms across his chest. "You just think Lorne is hot."

"Well, I do have eyes," she conceded.

"You know, I bet he wouldn't mind a woman making the first move…"

"Just remember, Sheppard. You go poking into my love life, I go poking into yours."

He scowled. "What love life?"

"Just the unresolved sexual tension between you and Elizabeth." She paused. "You know, if you're still not sure what I'm talking about, we could always poll the room –"

"You're an evil woman."

She grinned. "Yes, yes, I am."

He looked about ready to respond, but then his earpiece crackled, and he held up a hand. Danni couldn't hear what was being said, but she could read the look on John's face well enough. Something had happened, and it wasn't good.

"We're on our way," he said, tapping the radio off.

"How bad?" she asked.

His eyes were dark with worry. "The _Daedalus_ is coming in. And they're in bad shape." He turned to face the sparring room. "Major! Get your team and meet me in the docking bay. All hands on deck!"

There was no hesitation. Danni fell in beside John as they made their way toward the docking bay. She wasn't sure what had happened to the ship, but all hands on deck meant just that, and the halls of Atlantis were suddenly filled with people rushing around.

She glanced at John. "Caldwell?"

His expression tightened. "He didn't sound good."

They broke into a jog.

The _Daedalus_ had nearly been destroyed. Twisted metal and burning engines made the docking bay look like a war zone, and John was surprised the ship had even made it there.

The wounded were everywhere. As soon as the ship had landed, the residents of Atlantis had moved in, helping to carry the crew out. The smell of blood and burning skin made them want to gag, but there was nothing to do but continue on. The infirmary had filled up alarmingly fast, and a second trauma station was opened in a neighboring bay. Carson's voice could be heard above the din, shouting orders to his medical team and anyone else he had enlisted to help.

Colonel Caldwell hadn't escaped unscathed, either. A large gash cut across his forehead, but aside from pressing a cloth to it to keep the blood from his eyes, he refused medical attention until every last one of his people was looked at.

"They were waiting for us," he growled.

"The Wraith?" Elizabeth asked, knowing that only a hive ship could do this much damage.

He nodded. "I don't know how they found out about it, but they were waiting for us at the midway point. They had already blown one of our engines before we even knew were under attack."

Her throat tightened, but she refused to let anything show on her face. "The bridge?"

"We destroyed the midway. They can't use it to get to Earth."

She nodded. That meant that they couldn't either, but keeping Earth safe was far more important. "Colonel, you need to let someone check your head."

Caldwell sighed. "Not until –"

Elizabeth helped up a hand, cutting him off. "I'll make you a deal. I'll stop nagging you about it if you at least go find a place to sit down."

He hesitated, but she could tell that he was in pain – and she wouldn't have been surprised if he had other injuries that she couldn't see. Finally, he nodded. "Deal."

She watched him move towards an empty gurney. Before he'd made it there, an older woman that she recognized as an x-ray technician – Devon, she thought – caught his arm and escorted him the rest of the way. Elizabeth barely bit back a smile. It seemed she wasn't the only one who recognized that Colonel Caldwell needed help when it came to resting.

That taken care of, her eyes searched out John. He and Ronon had been two of the first onto the ship, carrying out crew members and organizing the soldiers. With everyone out now, he stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the grisly scene.

"Did we lose anyone?" she asked, coming up to stand beside him, her voice almost lost in the noise surrounding them.

He nodded. "Three so far. Five more are in critical condition."

"Four, sir," Lorne said as he came up to them. "Lieutenant Avery didn't make it out of surgery."

Elizabeth momentarily closed her eyes. Four families that would have to be notified. Four families who had lost someone they cared about…A small movement caused her to open her eyes again, and she saw John looking at her in concern.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly.

"I know," she replied honestly. "I'm just not sure that makes it any easier."

He nodded, understanding. Leadership was something they shared, and they understood the sometimes irrational guilt that the other carried for things that were out of their control. It just came with the territory.

He turned and looked at the wrecked ship behind him. "This complicates things."

"We'll meet with Caldwell in the morning to figure out our next moves. For now…for now, we just need to take care of our people."

Both men nodded, and the group moved back into the swarm of injured.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been a long time since she'd seen so many wounded in one place. Carson's medical staff was spread out as thin as it could go, and there were many men and women left bleeding as they waited for someone to see them. Danni wasn't medically trained, but she knew basic first aid, and she grabbed the first kit she could find.

She couldn't do much, so she did what she could. Every empty bed had been pulled out of the infirmary, and once those had been claimed, the injured moved to every available surface. Danni moved through them quietly, giving help where she could and a gentle hand where there was nothing more to be done.

She was emotionally worn to the bone by the time she felt a gentle hand on her elbow. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw Lorne standing there, worry and exhaustion warring in his eyes.

"You've done everything you can," he said softly. "You need to rest."

"Carson's team is gonna be running around for days."

"They're trained for it." His grip tightened slightly, and he helped her to her feet. "We're not any good to them if the rest of us push ourselves to the brink."

"You're starting to sound like Sheppard."

He gave her a tired smile. "I did hear him say something similar to Dr. Weir. C'mon. Let's go get something to eat."

Danni nodded, looking around once more at the controlled chaos all around them. The Wraith had done some serious damage, and it was going to be awhile before they recovered from the attack. Men and women had lost their lives – the burden of that was going to last longer and weigh heavier than anything else. A small knot of rage tightened in her stomach, but she pushed it away, knowing that it couldn't do her any good at the moment.

She and Lorne were quiet as they moved down the hallway toward the cafeteria. They could normally verbally spar with the best, but at that moment, neither of them had much of a desire to say anything. Danni hadn't seen him much since the _Daedalus_ arrived, but she knew that he had been one of the people integral in organizing and getting things done. John trusted Lorne more than any of the other soldiers from Earth, and the praise of that statement came with a lot of weight.

He bore it well, though, and she couldn't help but look at him with pride. Even now, tired and walking beside her silently, he exuded a calm that was contagious. The tension she'd been carrying in her shoulders and neck started to ease just a little – enough that she could breathe a little more deeply.

The cafeteria wasn't empty when they got there, but the group already sitting was small. John was the first to see them, and he waved them over, motioning for them to join the table. There was a small stack of sandwiches on a tray, and Danni and Lorne helped themselves as they took a seat.  
Someone had finally convinced Caldwell to get the cut on his head looked at, and the bandage was stark against his skin. No one else at the table was injured, but each wore a worried expression that Danni knew mirrored her own.

"How did they know about the bridge?" Elizabeth asked, picking up the conversation where it had left off moments before.

John shrugged. "As much as we hate to admit it, the Wraith aren't stupid. They've fought the _Daedalus _before, and they know about Earth. It's not too much of a stretch to figure out that we might be using the ship to ferry supplies."

Ronon frowned, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Hives sharing information, though? That's new."

"And dangerous," Lorne added, swallowing the rest of his sandwich and reaching for another. "We've been using their hostility for each other against them. If that changes, we could be in for a world of trouble."

"They weren't always like that," Danni said quietly.

The table stopped, struck by her words. Rodney was the first to recover, his confusion apparent.

"How could you possibly know that?"

She shrugged. "The Ancient database. Before their numbers grew, the Wraith were much more centralized. They had a single leader, and everyone followed orders."

"Until their numbers grew and the food supply couldn't support them," John finished.

She nodded. "Fighting over food will divide any culture. And it was easier for the smaller groups to crop up once the Wraith started hibernating in shifts. It was natural, really."

"Do you think they could unite again?" Caldwell asked.

"No."

Ronon's answer was quick and firm, leaving no room for any argument. Danni had to bite her tongue to keep from a sharp retort, instead forcing herself to shrug again.

"We don't know. I mean, when it comes down to it, this is an _alien_ force. We don't understand them. Their motivations, their goals. We might think that we do, but the Wraith are so far removed from us as a culture that we can't really know much of anything with a solid degree of certainty."

Elizabeth nodded. "What we do know is that the bridge has been destroyed, and the _Daedalus _is out of commission, at least for the time being."

"So we're cut off from Earth. Again," Rodney concluded. "Lovely."

"That's out of our control." Elizabeth took a deep breath, looking at each of them in turn. "For now, we do what we can. That means tending to the wounded, repairing the _Daedalus_, and looking for some new allies."

John winced. "That didn't go so well last time."

"Nonsense," Danni argued. "We made friends."

"Friends who couldn't help us out in a bar fight right now, never mind an intergalactic war."

"Point." She paused. "There are some cultures I've run across in the database that look promising. I'll jot them down and have a report for you in the morning," she told Elizabeth.

The older woman nodded. "Good. For now, I want every one of you to get some sleep. We've got long days ahead of us, and I can't have any of you falling asleep at the wheel."

They all pushed away from the table, disappearing into the hallways as they headed towards their quarters. Danni turned back once at the door, her lips sliding up into a small smile. John and Elizabeth hadn't gone far, but they were standing close, sharing one of those looks that had become well-known in Atlantis. When their eyes had finished talking, they turned for the other door, and John's hand dropped down to the small of her back naturally. Usually when he did that, he kept himself from actually touching her. Tonight, though, his hand pressed against her shirt, and Danni knew that it was a comfort to both of them, even if they didn't realize it.

Fighting back a yawn, she turned toward her own rooms.

* * *

He wasn't all that surprised to find her out on the balcony. Her orders for them to go to bed very rarely included herself, and John had learned early on to check back in with her to make sure she didn't work herself into the ground.

She wasn't working this time, though. The lights in her office were dark, her computer off. Instead, he found her on the balcony, staring out over the darkness as the wind brushed through her hair. It seemed as though they were doing this more often of late, looking out at the water, lost in thought. He supposed there were worse ways to deal with the weight of it all.

"I thought I told you to go to bed," she smirked, looking over her shoulder at him.

He shrugged, coming up to stand beside her. "I never did do well with following orders." He paused, struggling with himself for a moment. "You look exhausted, 'Lizabeth," he said quietly.

John knew it was even worse than he thought when she nodded. "A lot has been happening." She looked at him then, her eyes locking with his. "It's wearing on you, too," she whispered.

There wasn't really anything he could say to that. His throat tightened as he dropped her gaze, turning back to the ocean. It was getting harder to keep things from her, to pretend that everything just rolled right off of him. It was comforting and terrifying all at the same time. He wasn't used to people knowing him so well, and there were times he could feel the cold knot of fear gathering in the pit of his stomach. But then Elizabeth would look at him and smile, and the knot would loosen, his chest opening as he took in a shuddering breath.

John didn't know if he could offer her the same comfort, but he couldn't leave her this exposed, either. No matter what happened around them, they didn't leave the other. It would be a betrayal he could barely fathom.

Stamping down the fear and swallowing roughly, he reached out and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it tightly. Useless assurances came to mind, but he kept quiet, hoping his presence was enough, just like hers was for him.

She squeezed back.


	12. Chapter 12

She tried not to stare. Sitting at her desk, she had dozens of reports that clamored for her attention, but her eyes kept drifting down to the Gateroom.

Elizabeth wasn't a woman prone to jealousy. If a man wasn't interested in her, she could usually let go of her feelings or at least hide them deep enough that even she wasn't fully aware of them anymore. Her job - whether back on Earth or here on Atlantis - had always been too important for her to get caught up in such petty emotions.

As she watched Danni and John, though, something in her chest ached. His smile and laugh came easily whenever he was around the younger woman, and there was an understanding there that didn't require words. She knew that they went running together almost every morning and that he had become quite protective of her out in the field. Danni seemed to fill a void in his life that no one had known was there, and the two of them just..._clicked_.

Maybe that was what was bothering her. She and John were good friends - she could even admit that he was probably her best friend at this point. They had been on the same page almost from the beginning, and she could tell with one look what was going on inside his head. They kept each other steady when the entire universe seemed like it was trying to cast them out.

And now he had found someone else that kept him steady, too. Elizabeth muttered a curse under her breath - she should be happy for him instead of staring like a lovesick teenager.

Looking up again, she saw that Danni and John had made their way up the stairs, turning towards her office. Danni had promised her a report on potential allies, and it looked as though she was ready to outline them. Moving her shoulders back, Elizabeth wiped away her earlier thoughts and greeted the two of them with a smile as they came in.

"Good morning," she said.

John flashed her a smile and placed a steaming cup on her desk. "Morning, 'Lizabeth. Look who I ran into on my way up."

She took the cup gratefully, the coffee warming more than just her stomach. "Does this mean you have that list for me?" she asked.

Danni nodded. "There are three or four good places to start." She hesitated slightly, and Elizabeth realized that this was the first time she had seen her look even remotely unsure of herself. "One in particular," she finally finished.

Elizabeth sat forward. "That sounds promising. What can you tell us?"

John took a seat in front of her desk, but Danni opted to stand instead. Leaning forward, she placed her hands on the back of a chair, taking in a quiet breath.

"The planet is called Skandar. It's an old civilization - according to the database, they've been around since before the Wraith even came into existence."

John let out a low whistle. "That's an accomplishment. How did they manage to survive the Wraith?"

"They fought them. When the Wraith started out, they weren't as technologically advanced as they are now. They traveled through the Stargate on foot and on horses...or, you know...big things that look like horses. The Skandarians fought them, and they pretty much kicked their asses."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed even as her heart sped up in excitement. "How?"

Danni shrugged. "They're a warrior people. Always have been. Fiercely proud, and damn good fighters," she replied, her voice firm and certain.

John looked over at Elizabeth, words passing between them silently. They had both reached the same conclusion, though Elizabeth was the one to say it aloud.

"They certainly sound like the type of people we'd like to make friends with." She paused. "Any questionable practices we should know about?"

Danni thought for a second. "Their society is ruled by a monarchy. They have a class system, including serfs. But no slaves. No weird religious mumbo-jumbo. They believe in honor, strength and loyalty." Her eyes slid over to John. "I think they'll like you quite a bit, Colonel."

"That would be a nice change," Elizabeth quipped. "Alright, John. Get your team ready, and -"

Danni held up one finger. "Actually...you should come too, Dr. Weir."

One eyebrow rose slowly. "Oh, really?"

"Like I said, the Skandarians are big on honor...and they're also big on ceremony. They won't make an alliance with anyone but the leader of the expedition. And we need to look strong and controlled - they need to know that they're going to get a good deal out of the alliance."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "I see. Well, in that case, we'll hold off for a few days. I'll join you, but I need to make sure that things are a bit more settled here with Colonel Caldwell and the injured. Danni, I want you to work with John and put together a team that will impress the Skandarians enough. We desperately need competent allies."

Danni nodded. "Consider it done."

Pushing off from the back of the chair, she left without another word. Elizabeth half-expected John to leave as well, but he just sat there drinking his coffee and smiling at her.

"So how are you?" he asked.

She couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit relieved.

* * *

He knew she was completely lost in thought when she didn't notice him come to a stop in the doorway to her office. He leaned against the frame and just watched her for a minute. Chin resting in the palm of her hand, she stared down at her father's watch, idly moving the chain around with one finger. John knew that whenever the watch came out, there was something weighing on her mind, something that she wasn't sure how to put into words.

"Careful," he said quietly, not wanting to startle her. "Thinking that hard can be hazardous to your health."

Elizabeth looked over at him and smirked. "I think you might have a bias against forethought, Colonel."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you accusing me of acting without thinking first?"

She leaned back in her chair, and he could see that she was already relaxing a little. "I never accuse. It's not polite."

"They teach you that in leadership school?"

"Negotiation school."

John chuckled at that and came the rest of the way into the room. Perching himself on the corner of her desk, he looked down at her with a concerned expression.

"You okay?"

She shrugged. "We're cut off from Earth again."

"Not sure that's such a bad thing," he pointed out. "At least the IOA isn't an issue."

"Trust me, that thought has crossed my mind." She let out a long breath. "Makes other things more difficult, though."

"Supplies."

"Exactly. Not to mention losing the _Daedalus_ hurts us if the Wraith decide to attack again."

"At least Caldwell kept them from getting to Earth, though. And he kept a lot of our people alive."

Elizabeth nodded. "He's a good man. A good leader." Her eyes slid up to him warily. "I just hope his extended stay here doesn't mean he'll try to usurp your job again."

John shrugged, taking the opportunity to inspect the pot he'd gotten her for her first birthday on Atlantis. "Like you said, he's a good leader. He's certainly got more experience than me -"

She held up a hand. "Stop right there, John. As long as I have anything to say about it, Colonel Caldwell will _not_ take your place."

He gave her a grateful smile, but his eyes were still uncertain. "You sure?"

"I wouldn't do this job with anyone but you," she said quietly, her voice earnest. "Sometimes I think we've only gotten this far because of how well we work together."

She was saying all those things that he could never get out properly. Swallowing back an unexpected lump in his throat, he nodded once.

"You know that goes both ways, right?"

"I do."

"Good." Clearing his throat and hoping that the heat in his cheeks wasn't turning them pink, he decided to shift the subject a little. "You think you'll be ready to head to Skandar at the end of the week?"

She sat up a little straighter and nodded. "Yes." She made a wry face. "That little speech I just gave you, and Caldwell is going to be in charge while we're gone. I would have chosen Major Lorne, but..."

"But Danni put him on the list of people that should go." He shrugged. "It'll only be a few days. And you keep saying we need friends, so..."

"Hopefully the Skandarians will be a step in the right direction." Elizabeth pushed her chair back. "I don't suppose you'd like to get dinner."

Both eyebrows shot up. "You dragging me to a meal? That's a first."

She gave him a playful smile. "Come on, Colonel. I might even be able to snag you a piece of chocolate cake."

* * *

"Do we really need all these people?" Rodney asked, looking at the soldiers filling up the two jumpers.

Teyla shrugged. "If strength is truly important to these people, then they need to see that we are made up of people willing to fight."

"Think of them as an honor guard, McKay," Danni said. "We're bringing them the leader of Atlantis. It wouldn't look good to bring her without a protection detail."

He sighed. "Okay, but what about me and Carson?"

She shrugged. "Every leader needs advisers. Science and medicine...shows them that we're advanced, too. Remember - we're trying to sell ourselves a little here."

"Like cheap harlots?"

"I'd like to think I'm a little more high-end than that, Rodney," she admonished.

John stepped up to join them, taking a seat at the controls while Elizabeth took the seat behind him. "You gonna tell us what's in the crates we just loaded into the second jumper?"

Danni shook her head. "You'll see soon enough."

"I'm not really a big fan of surprises."

She patted his shoulder. "Sucks to be you, then." She handed him a piece of paper. "Here's the Gate address. Just make sure you land the jumper as soon as we get there."

He frowned. "You haven't explained that, either."

"Not to you," Elizabeth replied, a smug and knowing expression on her face.

He glared at her, but Danni just rolled her eyes.

"Trust me. Unless you want to crash us, just land once we're through."

"Alright. Fine. Keep your secrets." He turned to look at the others. "Everyone buckled? Let's rock and roll."


	13. Chapter 13

He may not have understood it, but John wasn't stupid enough to go against Danni _and_ Elizabeth's advice. As soon as they were through the Stargate, he landed the jumper, watching as the second ship did the same over to his left. The land they were in now was lush and green, with wide open fields and copses of trees. There had been plenty of planets they had visited that looked just like this, but John had a feeling that this was going to be anything but an ordinary trip.

"Alright," he said. "I landed. Now what?"

Danni smiled and pointed through the front window. "We get out and we wait."

He couldn't believe his eyes. A group of fifteen or twenty men galloped toward them on horses, one of them holding a pennant high in the air. The breeze caught it, unfurling the fabric, and he could see a silver lion rampant against a deep blue background.

"Who are they?"

"Our escort to the castle."

She turned to walk out of the back of the jumper, but John was up in a flash, followed quickly by Ronon.

"Hey, now!" he said, stepping in front of her. "I know that you're the cultural expert here, but we're the hired guns. We go out first." He held up a finger. "No arguments."

Danni rolled her eyes. "Can I at least make a suggestion?"

"I suppose."

"Let Elizabeth do the talking."

"I was going to do that anyway."

"Right. Just don't shoot anybody, okay?" She turned to face McKay. "And Rodney? For goodness sake, please don't speak right away."

"It's not_ my _fault some of these cultures are testy."

"And it's not _their_ fault that you're insulting," she shot back. "Seriously. Let's make a decent first impression, okay?" She turned back to John. "Another thing? I know you've got to protect Elizabeth, but try not to make her look weak, okay? These people don't have guns. You don't have to go around being macho and flexing your muscles. She can handle things with her words."

He knew that Elizabeth was more than capable of handling situations before they involved bullets and violence - in fact, she had saved them from getting to that point more than once. He still wanted to stand in front of her, though, to make sure that everyone they came across understood that she was not a viable target.

In the back of his mind, he could admit that he could sometimes get irrational about that.

"Alright," he agreed. "But if they start anything..."

"I doubt that they will."

They left the jumper then, Elizabeth right behind Ronon and John. The rest of their team joined them from the other ship, and soon Danni found herself in the center of the cluster with Carson, Rodney and Elizabeth. They moved together until they were facing the oncoming horses, and then they waited. She saw the soldiers tighten their grips on their weapons, and she could feel the ready tension running through all of them.

The man leading the horsemen forward was large, his dark hair cut short. He held up one hand as they neared, and his men stopped right behind him. All of them wore armor and carried large swords, but the man didn't open with any threats.

"Welcome," he said, his voice deep. "I am Mathis. I have been sent by King Torgen to inquire about your business."

Elizabeth inclined her head slightly. "I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir. We were hoping to speak with your king, and perhaps find common ground to build an alliance upon."

"Where do you hail from?"

"Atlantis," she responded.

"And you are their leader?"

"I am."

Mathis looked over the soldiers standing guard, pausing on John and Ronon. Finally, he nodded. "I cannot guarantee an alliance, but I will bring you to the castle and you can speak with His Majesty for yourself." He paused. "I do have to warn you, however. If you intend harm to my people, or my king -"

Elizabeth held up a hand. "I can assure that we do not, Mathis."

He looked at the men once more, and apparently deciding something, he smiled. "Then you shall be our guests."

He raised his fingers to his mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle. There was a rustling in the trees to their right, and John was surprised to see another group of riders emerge from the foliage. He hadn't had a clue that they were there.

Mathis spoke quietly with one of the men, and then turned back to the Atlantis expedition. "Come. We have rooms for you to refresh yourselves while I bring your request to His Majesty."

John cleared his throat, hoping he wasn't stepping on any toes. "We might be a bit slow, Mathis. We have trunks, and no horses."

"Not to worry. My men will carry your things, and some of you may ride on their horses." Men slid out of their saddles automatically, and Mathis joined them, bringing his own steed to Elizabeth and holding out his hand. "May I?" She locked eyes with John for a moment, and it wasn't lost on Mathis. "I take it he is your guardian?"

Elizabeth smiled. "He is."

Mathis reached out, and one of his men handed him the reins of another horse. "Then he shall ride as well."

Others of the team were helped onto the steeds, but Danni hung back, coming to stand with Lorne.

"Not a fan of horses?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's a nice day for a walk."

"You don't argue when a beautiful woman wants to walk with you, Major," Carson said, the last to climb up onto a horse with a little help from Mathis.

Lorne grinned, and a small blush tinged the tips of his ears. "Trust me, Doc. I'm not that stupid."

* * *

The rooms they were led to were beautiful. There was a large common area with couches and chairs covered in rich fabrics and plush pillows. Doors were spaced along the walls, and John could only imagine that they led to more private rooms.

"Swanky," he commented.

Danni rolled her eyes. "The Skanderians treat their guests well. It's a matter of honor, for them." She turned to the female attendant standing near the door. "We'll need three dresses."

She immediately nodded. "Color preference?"

Danni gestured to her companions. "Green for Teyla, and red for Dr. Weir."

"And for yourself?"

"Black."

Rodney frowned. "That's a little morbid for the occasion, isn't it?"

"I look good in black." Once the attendant had left to make arrangements for the women's clothing, Danni turned her full attention to the men. "Major Lorne, would you please open the trunks I had your men carry in?"

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded to a few of his men, and they each opened one of the trunks. When he saw what was inside of his, he looked up at Danni in confusion. "Ma'am?"

"Stop calling me that," she replied absently, walking over to the boxes. "Each of you has a uniform here. I've put your names on them, so that there wouldn't be any confusion."

John walked over, peering over her shoulder. "Our dress uniforms? How in the world –"

She smirked at him. "I'm a resourceful girl. Now – the Skanderians respect formality, ceremony, and order. If we're gonna get them to seriously consider us as allies, we have to show them that we have something to offer. Each one of you is going to shower, shave, and make yourselves as presentable as you would if you were up for inspection. Do you understand me?"

There were grimaces on more than one face, but every one of them eventually nodded, even John.

"Are there clothes for Rodney and I as well?" Carson asked.

Danni nodded. "They've got your names on them as well." She turned to Ronon with an amused smile. "And don't worry. Your uniform isn't much different from your usual outfit. Just a little cleaner."

"'Preciate that."

"I need you intimidating, not uncomfortable." She moved towards one of the doors, motioning for Elizabeth and Teyla to follow. "No dilly-dallying, boys. We don't want to keep the king waiting."

As the door shut behind them, the men stood in silence for a moment, just staring at where they had disappeared. Eventually, it was Lorne who spoke up.

"She can really command a room, huh?"

"Probably used to leading," Ronon replied.

John frowned. "What makes you say that?"

The big man shrugged. "She carries herself like she has authority. Trust me – at some point, that woman led people."

Rodney sighed. "She was probably an office manager. Can we just get on with this ridiculous show? The sooner we 'present' ourselves," his tone dripped with sarcasm as he used air quotes, "the sooner we get out of whatever ridiculous clothes she's chosen for us."

Carson sighed, pulling two clear garment bags out of a trunk. "Relax, Rodney. They're black suits. You won't look ridiculous – in fact, it'll probably be an improvement on your usual attire."

He sniffed. "I have far more important things than fashion –"

"Can it, McKay," John said firmly. "We've got a lot to do, and I'd rather the girls didn't get ready before us. Don't wanna look bad." He gestured at the other doors. "Find showers and get moving, guys. We've got some locals to impress."

* * *

The women came out only a few minutes after the men had finished getting dressed, and John wondered if they had planned it that way. Of course, once he got a good look at them, any coherent thoughts fled from his mind.

All three wore the same style of dress, but the colors of the skirts matched each woman. Danni looked downright regal, the black corset hugging her torso as though it had been made for her, and the black skirt swirling around her legs. Half of her curls had been pulled back, leaving the rest to spill down her back. He heard a sudden intake of breath behind him, and he knew that Lorne was completely smitten.

Teyla always carried herself like a leader and a fighter, and she moved into the room with a natural grace. He'd always thought that green was her color, and by the sudden stillness of Ronon beside him, he knew he wasn't the only one.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw Elizabeth. It was no secret on Atlantis that red was her color of choice, and it probably wasn't much of a secret that he loved to see her in it. But it wasn't often that he got to see her dressed up, and he let his eyes drink her in. Her hair had been pinned back, her long bangs swept to the side. He had never seen her look so beautiful before, and it took him a few seconds to remember how to breathe properly.

"Oh my," Carson murmured. "The three of you look exquisite."

Elizabeth smiled and then caught John's eye, blushing under his scrutiny. "Thank you, Carson." She stepped forward and straightened John's tie. "I have to say, you all clean up quite nicely."

John smirked. "Well, we have to look fit for our queen."

She smacked his shoulder lightly. "Play nice."

"I always do."

There was a quiet but firm knock on the door, and John went to answer it. Mathis stood on the other side, and he nodded in approval when he saw their attire.

"The king has agreed to an audience," he said. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Hall."

Elizabeth inclined her head. "Thank you, Mathis."

The walls were hung with thick tapestries, and John couldn't help but feel like they had fallen into medieval times. Their footsteps echoed as they moved across the stone floor, and there were torches hung in sconces along the walls. They passed servants and other knights, all on their own business. Each and every one of them nodded to Mathis in respect, the soldiers pressing their right fist to their chest. John figured it was the same as saluting a superior officer.

Eventually, they reached a set of large double doors, with a guard on either side. Here, Mathis turned to them.

"It will only be a minute. I need to announce you to His Majesty."

He disappeared around a corner, toward a smaller side door that they hadn't noticed before. Once they were gone, Danni turned to face Elizabeth.

"Do you mind if I form us up?"

"Not at all."

She nodded. "Alright. I'll lead -"

"What? Why?" Rodney asked. "Shouldn't Elizabeth or Sheppard lead?"

"Normally, yes. But they should be introduced to the king and queen, and since I know more about the culture than you do, I'm gonna do it. If that's alright with you, of course."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but waved for her to go on.

"So, I'll lead," Danni continued. "Elizabeth, you should be right behind me. John, you and Ronon should be behind her on either side. Make it look like you're her personal bodyguards."

Ronon grunted. "Not too far from the truth."

Elizabeth gave him a mock glare before turning her attention back to Danni.

"Teyla, you should be between and behind them, completing the diamond. Then Rodney and Carson behind and to either side of you and then Lorne, I need you to lead the soldiers in two-by-two."

It was only a matter of seconds for everyone to get into position, and Danni walked through them, moving someone half an inch here, a centimeter there. John's eyes narrowed as he watched her - this seemed like a deeper knowledge than the database would hold, but she carried herself with an unshaken confidence. She knew what she was doing.

"There," she said, nodding at them. "That's perfect. Now, when we walk in, try to follow my pace. When we get to the throne, I'll curtsey, like this -" She crossed her right leg in front of her left in an exaggerated stance and bent low, "and Elizabeth and Teyla will follow suit. Boys, I need you to bow like this -" This time, she brought her right leg behind and far to the left of her other leg, bending low again. "Got it?"

Everyone nodded, a few of the soldiers shifting nervously. Danni turned to face the double doors once again, and she thought she caught a thoughtful look on one of the guards' faces as he risked a glance at her. But then his eyes were forward again, and she wondered if she had imagined it.

From inside the hall, they heard three raps, as though a great staff were being struck against the floor.

Then the doors opened wide.


	14. Chapter 14

The room that opened up before them was almost cavernous, and John felt as though he'd fallen into some kind of historical medieval movie. Fires burned in more than one fire place set along the outer walls, keeping back the chill that inherently set into buildings made of stone. Twelve empty thrones, six on each side, rose up between the fireplaces, each decorated with a different color scheme and insignia. There were tables and chairs in the room as well, occupied by the men that made up at least part of the king's royal guard.

The dual throne that sat at the end of the long room seemed to grow out of the stone itself. Seven massive steps led up to it, draped with a rich blue carpet. Two more guards stood at the base of the steps, large swords at their sides and spears in their hands. They weren't exactly threatening, but it was obvious that if John and his teammates wanted to live, they shouldn't make any sudden movements.

A dark-haired couple occupied the throne, neither sitting higher or more prominently than the other. John would expect the king to be more ostentatious somehow, but his wife was just as regal, and he got the sudden feeling that they ruled jointly in all things. It was uncommon - at least as far as he knew - but these people seemed to work well from what he could see so far.

He didn't have time to taken in much else. After pausing for three or four heartbeats when the doors opened, Danni began moving, practically sweeping down the center aisle as they headed for the dais. Her movements were confident and practiced, as though she wore dresses and presented herself to kings everyday. He couldn't help but watch her out of the corner of his eye as they went, wondering what on earth this woman had done before coming to Atlantis.

Eventually they came to a stop in front of the throne, and Danni immediately dropped into her curtsy, and John had a moment of panic as he tried to remember the way she had bowed in example. Somehow it came naturally, though, and when he rose up again, he found the king staring at them with a mixture of wonder and approval.

Torgen nodded slightly in acknowledgement, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You have come a long way."

Danni nodded. "We have, your Majesty. Great distances are well worth it when looking for strong and honorable allies, however."

"Very true," he said, the smile growing just a bit. "Very true." He gestured to those standing behind her. "And will you introduce your companions?"

"Of course." She stepped aside so that Elizabeth could come forward. "This is Doctor Elizabeth Weir, the leader of our expedition."

John enjoyed watching Elizabeth in this environment. He wasn't sure if Danni had prepped her while they were getting ready, but she dipped into a curtsy again with a practiced ease.

"Your Majesty. It is an honor to meet you."

"And you as well, my Lady."

Danni moved on. "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. He is Dr. Weir's second-in-command, military commander and personal protector."

Figuring it was the right thing to do, John bowed again as well. "Your Majesty."

"Ronon Dex. Colonel Sheppard's right arm and a valiant soldier of our city." She continued to move down the line. "Teyla Emmagan, a close adviser to Dr. Weir and a member of Colonel Sheppard's team."

The way she described each member of their group made them sound so much grander than they were. But as John thought about it, he realized that she didn't give a single undeserved rank or praise. She had simply reworded everything to fit the language and culture that they were meeting with. He sneaked a glance over at Elizabeth, their eyes meeting, and he could see that she was impressed. As a negotiator, he knew that she was used to having to adapt like this, and Danni obviously had her approval.

When the introductions were finished, Torgen once again inclined his head, the movement deeper this time.

"A worthy group indeed, my Lady," he replied. "Though you have failed to give us your name."

Danni smiled. "Danni, your Majesty."

"That sounds like it has been shortened from a longer name."

She hesitated - just a bit, but John noticed it and almost frowned. "Danielle."

"Lady Danielle," he greeted. "You bring honor to your people by the way you carry yourself and respect our ways." He gestured to the woman sitting beside him. "This is Marlena, my wife and my Queen."

Marlena, her hair as dark as her husbands as it cascaded past her shoulders in a gentle wave, smiled at them. "Mathis tells us that you are here seeking an alliance," she said to Elizabeth, her voice strong and clear.

Elizabeth nodded. "We are indeed. There are many dangers that face all of us, and close friends are a good thing to have in both times of trouble and celebration."

"On that, we most definitely agree, Doctor Weir." Her smile faded just a bit. "Despite our best efforts, however, we have occasionally linked ourselves with people who lacked the strength to stand on their own, which as you must know, is dangerous both for themselves and any who would call them friend. We cannot make that mistake again."

"Surely there must be a way we can convince you of our own abilities."

"There are tests we sometimes ask potential allies to complete," Torgen explained. "And yet, what we have learned most of all is that the weakness generally lies with the leaders themselves, instead of the fighting force that stands behind them."

Marlena continued, as though they were running from the same thoughts. "A leader who stands alone is weak, whether or not they are a good leader. If they have someone beside them, though, someone to lean against when their own knees buckle, they are less likely to fall." Her eyes flickered to John. "I believe in this case, a Bonding would suffice for us."

Torgen nodded. "It would indeed."

Elizabeth frowned slightly, trying to keep her confusion from marring her expression. Danni stepped in though, addressing the king and queen.

"They are unfamiliar with the Bonding, your Majesties. I would ask for some time alone with them to explain it, and to let them make an informed decision."

"Of course," Torgen replied. "And please know that if you decide against it, while we will not be able to ally ourselves with you, there will be no negative repercussions. So please, make the decision that best suits you."

"Regardless," Marlena said, "we invite you to dine with us tonight. Hopefully you will have reached an agreement by then and we can begin building a friendship between our peoples."

Danni, hands folded in front of her, inclined her head. "Thank you."

That seemed to be their dismissal. Lorne and the men behind him parted to stand on either side of the aisle, and Danni strode forward, followed by Elizabeth and the rest, the formation falling into place behind her.

* * *

Everyone held their tongues as they headed back to their rooms, though Danni could practically feel the questions burning through the back of her skull. She knew about the Bonding, but she hadn't been sure that the Skanderians would ask it of John and Elizabeth. Given their relationship, she thought it was probably a good step for them - but she had long since realized that not everyone shared her view on things.

"Is there any chance," John asked as soon as the door had closed behind their group and they were alone once again, "that this Bonding is a painless and easy task?"

"It's not actually a task," Danni replied, turning to face him and Elizabeth. As usual, he was by her side, and she fought to hold back her smirk. "You noticed that Torgen and Marlena sit on even thrones? One doesn't sit higher than the other."

John shrugged, but Elizabeth nodded. "They rule jointly. This is neither a patriarchy or matriarchy."

"Exactly. The Skanderians hold loyalty above all other things. Family, friendship, love...this is not a society where young women are married to rich older men. Parents watch their children, see who they gravitate towards and build strong relationships with."

"And they mate for life," Ronon guessed.

"Absolutely. There is no divorce here. It's an unthinkable concept for them. It goes against the very fiber of their being."

John frowned, the wheels turning in his head almost audible. "Are you trying to say that they want Elizabeth and I to get married?"

Elizabeth blushed, but didn't show any other signs of embarrassment. She and John had had to play husband and wife more than once with the cultures they encountered, and she had to admit that they were pretty good at it.

"Not quite," Danni replied. "A Bonding...it's not marriage. It actually usually comes before that. It's a promise. A promise to care for, to protect, to watch over. You're pledging yourselves to each other." She shrugged, looking them both in the eye. "Honestly, it doesn't ask any more of you than you already do for each other. You've both proven that you would risk your lives for each other. I've seen you both sit in the infirmary when the other is injured. This is simply...promising to do that in front of other people."

Carson raised his hand slowly from his position on the couch, like a little boy in school. "May I ask a question?"

Danni smiled at him. "Of course."

"What happens if one of them actually wants to marry someone else down the line?"

Lorne suddenly had a coughing fit, and John looked distinctly uncomfortable. Danni ignored them both. "Bondings can be dissolved. That happens sometimes."

Rodney frowned. "So...what? They just go through some little ceremony and these people are happy?"

"Pretty much." She turned to John and Elizabeth again. "I'd need to talk to both of you about the specifics of the ceremony. The Skanderians won't expect you to get all of it right, since you're foreigners, but it would be nice to come pretty close." She paused. "That is, of course, if you're willing to go through it."

Elizabeth turned her head and looked at John. There wasn't a single person in the room who wasn't used to these stares that they had, words moving between them without making a sound. It was a daily occurrence in Atlantis, and most everyone agreed that the city ran more smoothly because of it. As it went on, Danni could hear a couple of soldiers shuffling their feet behind her, but she kept her eyes on the couple in front of her, wondering what they would decide.

Eventually John took a deep breath in as Elizabeth let one out, and she turned back to Danni.

"We'll do it."

Danni smiled, a warm relief seeping through her chest. This was how things were supposed to be. "Good. Do you mind if I go over things with you first?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to talk to us both at the same time?" John asked.

She shook her head. "You have different roles in the ceremony. I'd rather do this separately."

Elizabeth nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She looked around at the rest of them. "I take you boys can stay out of trouble for a little while?"

John gave her an almost innocent look. "I'll do my very best not to insult any of our new friends," he promised.

"Best to keep you and Rodney in here then," she replied, turning to follow Danni to the ladies' quarters. "Just to be safe."

He glared at her back, but Elizabeth just smirked over her shoulder at him and disappeared.


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth and Danni had only been gone for a few minutes when there was a knock on the main door to the room. Being the closest, Ronon was the one to answer it, and Mathis nodded at him.

"Is Colonel Sheppard available?"

John got up from one of the sofas and walked over. "I am. What's up?"

Mathis paused, seemingly confused by the verbiage. John inwardly sighed - this was why he would rather Elizabeth handle the talking. He wasn't cut out for this formal crap.

"I was hoping you would accompany me to another part of the castle."

John's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Mathis gave him a reassuring smile. "My king informs me that we may become allies, if you and your Doctor Weir agree to the Bonding."

He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, we agree to it."

"In that case, it is only fair that you get to see what you are getting in return. Allies should share their strengths, should they not?"

"He's right," Ronon said. "It's only fair."

"Alright." John looked around. "I'd like to bring Ronon and Teyla with me, if that's okay."

Mathis nodded. "Of course."

Turning around, John moved across the room to Lorne. "I want you to stay here," he said quietly. "I think these guys are on the up and up, but I'd feel better if you were here with Elizabeth and Danni."

Lorne nodded. "You got it, Colonel."

"Why don't we get to go?" Rodney demanded, gesturing to himself and Carson. "I'm part of the team!"

John sighed, but Mathis just chuckled. "Any who wish to come are more than welcome."

"C'mon, McKay," Sheppard said, gesturing to the door. "Wouldn't want you feeling left out. You can come too, Carson."

"Aye," the doctor said, getting to his feet. "I'd love to."

* * *

"So what exactly do we have to do?" Elizabeth asked once she was alone with Danni.

The younger woman smiled. "Don't worry, it's not too complicated." She hesitated. "Except for the symbol of pledging, of course."

"Is that like a ring?"

"It serves the same purpose. But the Skanderians don't wear a lot of jewelry. Gets in the way of the fighting."

"Alright. So what is the symbol?"

Danni took a deep breath. "A tattoo."

Both of Elizabeth's eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

She rushed to explain. "It's small, it's tasteful and it's easy to hide. Plus, the Skanderians have been doing it for a long time, so they know how to make it as painless as possible."

Elizabeth had been expecting a ring - something she could put on a chain or hide in her jewelry box, so that the people of the city wouldn't be asking questions. For a moment, she had second thoughts. But she and John and already agreed to this, and they desperately needed allies.

"How small?" she finally asked.

"It goes on the inside of your right wrist. A bracelet will easily hide it." She noticed a painting hanging in the room and she walked over to it, pointing. "See?"

The woman in the picture was regal and beautiful, holding herself with a confidence that she must have been born with. Elizabeth let her eyes travel down her right arm until she saw the small design on her wrist. Black lines touching to form some kind of symbol. She had to admit - it was quite tasteful, just as Danni said.

"Are they all the same?" she asked.

"No. The Skanderians have a woman who does the tattoos, and she...well, I guess she reads the people she marks. Each symbol is slightly different, though the ones that you and John get will be two halves of a whole. Which makes sense, really."

Elizabeth's eyes slid over to the other woman, watching her carefully. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Danni frowned. "Okay with what?"

"With this. The Bonding." She hesitated. "John and I."

Danni continued to watch her for a moment until realization finally dawned on her. Letting out an easy laugh, she rested a hand on Elizabeth's arm.

"Did you think that John and I...?"

Elizabeth shrugged, her face flushing. "You do seem to get along extraordinarily well."

"Well, I guess we do at that. But I'm not interested in him, Elizabeth. And he's not interested in me." She paused, her eyes growing distant for a moment. "He reminds me a lot of my brother, actually."

"I didn't know you had any siblings."

"He died a long time ago," she replied, her voice a little hoarse.

"I'm so sorry."

"Like I said. It was a long time ago. He was a good man, though, just like John. It's nice to have someone like that in my life again." Her smile came back. "You and John, however, are way past platonic."

Elizabeth straightened up, clasping her hands in front of her. "I don't know -"

Danni just gave her a flat look. "Seriously? I mean...seriously?"

She sighed, suddenly unable to force the speech out of her mouth. "Dammit," she muttered.

Danni just laughed again. "Come on. I'll run you through the rest of the ceremony and then go deal with John."

Elizabeth wondered when her feelings had become so transparent.

* * *

The small group followed Mathis out of the room and left down the hallway, away from the throne room. There were no other soldiers with him and John let himself relax a little. The Skanderians really did seem like people they could trust. Lorne and the other soldiers were with Elizabeth, and he was fairly sure that he, Ronon and Teyla could handle anything if it came up.

Mathis brought them to a large room that reminded him of the sparring area they had on Atlantis. It was much bigger, and there were weapons lining the walls that he wasn't used to - swords, battle axes and long staffs - but it had the same feel to it. There were several other men standing in the middle, not looking any smaller despite the fact that they weren't wearing their armor.

Rodney leaned over, barely lowering his voice. "Do you think these people know how to use a gun at all? Because if not, I don't see them being much help."

John glared at him, but Mathis just shrugged. "A fair question, Dr. McKay. We have seen the weapons that the Wraith wield and know that they are formidable. But there is still much to be said for hand-to-hand combat. And the Skanderians have the best hand-to-hand combat skills in the galaxy."

The statement was said simply, with no tone of boasting or challenge. Looking at him, John didn't doubt that he was a dangerous opponent, but Ronon crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

"Let's see."

Mathis nodded and then turned, picking one of the men standing before him. The rest cleared a wide circle around them as they faced one another. John expected them to fight with swords but instead, two staffs were pulled from the wall and handed to them.

There was no bowing or hesitation. The two men were in their stances one moment and then crashing together in the next, their staffs cracking loudly as they made contact. The movements were so quick that they were almost blinding, and it was barely three seconds before John lost track of what exactly was going on. Despite the speed, each move was precise and calculated, the two men seemingly matched in skill.

Eventually, the other man began to tire and Mathis pressed his advantage. He wasn't a leader in name only - it was clear that he had earned his title. He pushed harder and harder, until finally he managed to sweep his opponent's feet out from under him and he placed his staff at the man's Adam's apple.

"That...was impressive," Teyla murmured.

"Impressive?" Carson asked. "That was brilliant! My god, did you see how fast they were going?"

"Not bad," Ronon said louder, so that Mathis could hear. "But how do you do without that stick in your hands?"

Mathis grinned. "Care to try your luck?"

The big man stepped forward, standing a few inches over the Skanderian. Mathis seemed pleased by the challenge however and nodded at his new opponent.

"Any ground rules you would like to establish? I know that different peoples have different customs."

Ronon shook his head, lowering himself into a ready stance. "I'm good."

"Just don't kill each other," John called out. "I'd hate to have to explain to Elizabeth that I managed to get us in trouble already."

"Only honorable shots," Mathis agreed. "Ready?"

Ronon barely gave half a nod before surging forward. He was used to his size being an advantage and he attacked from that perspective, hoping to overpower Mathis early on. But the knight seemed to have no problem adjusting his tactics to fit that, and the two began a complicated dance. Fists and elbows flew, making contact almost as often as they were blocked. Both managed to knock the other down once or twice, but then they were right back up, launching another attack.

It took John awhile to realize that Mathis was toying with Ronon. At the rate they were going, they both should have been tiring from the effort, but the Skanderian wasn't giving it his all. He was testing him, looking for a weak spot to exploit.

Eventually he found it. Ronon was a big man and as such, had a large torso to guard. Mathis slipped in with a devastating blow to his rib cage, followed swiftly by a shot to the solar plexus. A flying leap brought his elbow down hard into the side of Ronon's face and a powerful kick to the back of his knees brought him down to the mat.

Mathis froze with his foot hovering over his exposed throat and then smiled broadly, pulling his foot back.

"You fight well, my friend," he said, offering a hand to help him up. "Very well indeed."

Ronon accepted the help and pulled himself to his feet, working his jaw with one hand. "Not well enough. All of your men are trained like that?"

Mathis nodded. "As I told you - we are the best at what we do."

"Think you could teach our boys to do that?"

Everyone turned to see Danni walking in, a small smile on her face. John half-expected to see Lorne with her, but then he remembered that he had asked the major to watch Elizabeth - and every one of his men knew how seriously he took her safety.

Mathis nodded. "We can indeed. And perhaps your men could teach us how to use their weapons of choice."

"Seems fair."

He paused for a moment, studying her face. "And you, my Lady? Do you fight?"

Danni crossed her arms over her chest. "I can hold my own."

"Perhaps you'd like to try your hand in sparring?"

"Not today, Mathis. But perhaps someday soon."

He nodded again. "I look forward to that day then."

She inclined her head in response. "I'd like to steal Colonel Sheppard, if I could."

"Of course."

"I'm gonna stay here," Ronon replied. He looked over at Mathis. "I want to know how you managed to land that blow."

"And perhaps learn to block it as well?"

"That's the point."

John shook his head and walked over to Danni. "Are you just walking the halls alone?"

"They're honorable people, John. They're not going to attack me or try something underhanded."

"You've known them for all of a day."

She shrugged. "Sometimes you can just tell with people." She turned to the rest of the group who watched as Ronon and Mathis squared up again. "We'll meet you back in the room before it's time to leave for dinner."

"What, you have to have a private talk with Sheppard?" Rodney asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Don't worry, Rodney. Soon it'll be time to eat and you can be happy again."

"Who knows what these people serve for food? It could be inedible!"

"I highly doubt that." She looked over at Mathis. "They look like they produce some strapping men. You can't do that without a decent menu."

Rodney thought about it. "True," he conceded. "I wonder if..."

Danni just shook her head and took John by the elbow, leading him out of the sparring room and down the hallway. They wandered for a bit, seemingly choosing their path at random, and he found himself hoping that she knew her way back because he was seriously lost.

"So how difficult is this Bonding thing going to be?" he asked finally.

"Aside from the blood pact and the tattoo? It's a piece of cake."

He stopped and stared at her. "What?"

Rolling her eyes, she took a hold of his elbow again and dragged him on. "C'mon, we'll talk when we get there."

"Get where?"

She didn't answer him though. She just continued to lead him further into the castle until they came to a set of stairs in a corner. The guard at the base took note of them, but made no move to stop them and Danni didn't even pause. She simply led him up the stairs, which seemed to go on forever. John was in decent shape - it came with the territory of having to run for your life on a regular basis - but he was winded by the time they reached the top.

And then the view took his breath away.

They were standing on the roof of the castle, in the northeast corner. He had noticed that the palace was at the top of a hill when they came in - easier to defend that way - but now he could truly grasp the scope of the land.

It was amazing. Everything around them was green and fertile. Large forests stretched off into the distance, kept back a good ways so that an enemy couldn't simply appear out of the trees. There were cliffs off to his right and he could see the water, the sight of the blue expanse doing a great deal to set his mind at ease.

"Wow," he whispered.

"Pretty much," Danni agreed, her voice quiet. "And yet completely insufficient to describe it." She turned to face him. "Now we can talk."

He dragged his mind back to the conversation, replaying her earlier words in his head. "Right. Now what's this about blood and tattoos?"

She explained the tattoo like she had with Elizabeth, though she focused more on stressing that Elizabeth had already agreed to it. When she was done he just shrugged.

"Alright. So what's this blood pact thing?"

"It's pretty simple. You swear on your own blood to protect and care for Elizabeth."

"Something tells me that swearing on my blood means I'll have to spill some."

She raised an eyebrow. "Afraid of a little blood, Sheppard?"

"No. I just happen to prefer mine on the inside." He paused. "How much blood are we talking here?"

"A quick slice across the palm. Seriously, it's nothing."

He knew that a cut like that would sting like hell, but he had certainly endured worse. An unpleasant thought occurred to him and he shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"What about Elizabeth?"

"What about her?"

"She doesn't have to cut herself, right? I mean, it's just me swearing on my blood."

Danni gave him a gentle smile. "It's just your blood. She makes the same promises as you do, but since she's not a soldier or a warrior, she's more promising to take care of you and use her diplomacy skills to keep you safe."

"She already does that."

"Obviously. You're still alive." Danni paused. "So are you good with this?"

He shrugged, once again looking out over the landscape. "Yeah."

"I mean with binding yourself to Elizabeth so formally."

John put his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. "Like you said, it isn't anything we're not already doing for each other."

Danni sighed. "You just can't admit it, can you? How you feel about her?"

He was quiet for a long moment, mouth twitching as he mulled his answer over. "No," he said finally. "Not yet."

"Not yet?" She nodded in approval. "That's a step up. I'll take it." Glancing out across the landscape, she continued. "She was worried, you know. That she was stepping on my toes by binding herself to you."

John frowned. "Why?"

"She thought there was something going on between us."

"That's ridiculous." It occurred to him that that might have come out wrong, and he rushed to explain. "I mean, you and I..."

Danni held up a hand, saving him from his own awkward words. "We're good friends, John. There's certainly no romantic aspect to our relationship."

He let out a breath. "Exactly." He paused. "You're like a sister."

She glanced over at him. "You sound like you're talking from experience."

His brow furrowed. "I had a sister," he said quietly.

She knew that tone of loss and past tense well. She also knew that he wouldn't talk about it until he was good and ready, and the whole situation with Elizabeth was already leaving him more emotionally vulnerable than he cared to be. So Danni just nodded.

"I had a brother," she replied in the same tone. "It's nice sometimes, when we can find the things we thought were lost."

John cleared his throat, fighting back his own torrent of emotions. He had avoided thinking about his sister for a long time, but he couldn't deny that Danni reminded him of her - and that it was a comfort to have her by his side. She didn't push the subject any further though.

"C'mon," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "If we don't feed McKay soon he'll start offending people."

"He does that on a full stomach."

"At least at dinner you can step on his foot if he gets out of line."

She headed back for the stairs, but John took another moment, looking out over the view. It really was beautiful, touching him in a different way than Atlantis did. He wondered how telling it was that these strange places felt more like home than Earth ever had.

"John?"

Looking away, he turned and followed her.


	16. Chapter 16

The courtyard was full of flowers. Walking slowly down the stone pathway, Danni breathed deeply, smiling as the different scents mingled. Atlantis was a beautiful city in its own right, but it was all metal and circuitry. The mainland had its own flora, but it was so far removed from the city itself that it was easy to forget.

Here, though...Skandar was a planet that had never moved towards a technological society. The royal line was strong and most of the citizens seemed happy with the way things were. The Wraith did not seek them out often because of their strength and they focused their energies on living according to their honor code.

There was a lot she admired here.

"Beautiful."

She turned to see Evan coming up behind her. Though she first though he was commenting on the garden around them, his eyes were locked on her. Warmth rushed to her face and she smiled at him.

"Hi."

"Hi." He stopped beside her, looking around. "You really like this place, don't you?"

"It feels like home," she murmured.

"What's home like?" he asked. "Do you have a big family?"

Danni shook her head. "I'm the only one left. You?"

"Three brothers. And quite a few nieces," he said with a smile. "I miss them."

She reached out and took his hand, sliding her fingers against his own as they entwined. "I'm sorry you're cut off from them."

Evan shrugged despite the pain in his eyes. "I'm doing amazing things out here. With amazing people. Can't exactly complain about that." He looked down at their hands and squeezed gently before smiling at her. "I feel like there's something I should say here and I'm just not sure what it is."

Danni shrugged. "I'm not really sure you need to say anything."

His expression turned slightly apprehensive and disappointed. "No?"

She tugged on his hand to turn him toward her and she took a small step forward. "Sometimes words are just superfluous."

Evan grinned. "I ever tell you I've got a thing for smart chicks?"

Danni returned the smile, but then his lips were on hers. It was soft, feeling this new territory out carefully. She let him set the pace, enjoying the way he handled her so gently. One of his hands came up to the side of her face while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. He didn't push, didn't take it any deeper. He just kissed her, letting her know how he felt and how she made him feel all in a matter of twenty seconds. When he pulled away they were both smiling, and Lorne's ears were pink at the tips.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"So was that okay with you?"

Danni kissed him again. "Definitely."

* * *

Dinner came and went, and overall, Danni thought it had gone well. The Skanderians and the Atlantis expedition got along easily and despite their nervousness about the Bonding the next day, John and Elizabeth handled themselves just like they always did. The more she watched them, the more she was impressed - and the more she was certain that they were a good match for each other. She hoped the Bonding would lead them in the right direction.

When the festivities began to quiet down and she found an opening, she slipped from the room and wandered the castle. Tragen and Marlena had given their visitors free reign and Danni enjoyed the luxury. There were many places that were bustling with people - guests going to and from the dining room as well as servants carrying caskets of ale and empty platters - but she was soon able to find a quieter section. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, depicting honored leaders and great battles. The artwork was superb and she found herself pausing in front of a good number of them, lost in thought.

It wasn't long before she realized she was being followed. She didn't feel threatened by the presence and once she caught sight of her pursuer around a corner, she smiled. She didn't think Torgen realized that she had sensed his presence.

"Is there something I can help you with, Your Majesty?"

He chuckled as he stepped around another corner and showed himself. "You're very observant, my Lady."

Danni shrugged. "You weren't trying very hard to go unnoticed."

"You only prove my point further." He peered at her more closely, his brown eyes deep and probing. "Forgive me for being forward, but you look quite familiar."

"There are many women in many worlds, your Majesty. I'm sure some of them are bound to look alike."

"The particular woman you remind me of is one of a kind."

Her lips curved up into a smile, but she nodded at the tapestry in front of her. "This looks like it was a great battle."

Torgen followed her lead, clasping his hands behind his back as he studied the picture as well. "It was indeed. We won."

"That doesn't surprise me. I'm sure your people were led by a great king, as they are now."

His eyes showed his pleasure at her comment. "They were. But it was not their king who brought them this victory."

"No?"

"The captain of the king's guard, and the captain of the queen's guard were a great team. Brother and sister - twins. They moved as one and were more feared than any other on the battlefield. They won us many victories."

"They sound legendary."

"They certainly are. Our people were undefeated while they led our troops." His eyes slid over to her. "Stories of this battle and others that they fought are still told late at night in front of the fire."

"That's the nice thing about a good story," Danni said quietly. "They never die."

"And they never will," Torgen said firmly. "Not as long as there are good people around to tell them to the next generation."

They both fell silent and continued to stare at the tapestry.

* * *

Danni had been clear about the ceremony, and that meant that Elizabeth needed to choose a Second. Someone who would watch out for John when she couldn't be there; someone who would take care of him if something happened to Elizabeth.

It was an easy choice for her.

"I would be honored," Teyla said warmly.

Elizabeth gave her a tight smile. "Thank you."

"Are you nervous?"

She should have known she couldn't hide from Teyla. Her friend had a habit of seeing past people's defenses.

"A little," she admitted. "I'm not sure why."

"Perhaps because it is a public commitment." Teyla paused. "Or perhaps because it puts words to something you and John have never voiced."

That hit her straight in the chest and it took Elizabeth a moment to catch her breath.

"Something like that," she murmured.

* * *

"Don't be a pansy," Ronon rumbled.

John gave him a hard look as he took off his watch. "I'm not."

"You've been shot before, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well this will hurt way less."

"I think it will hurt even less than you believe, friend."

They both turned to see an elderly woman step into the room. She had a warm smile and kind eyes, and John started to relax a little. She reminded him a little of his grandmother, and whenever she had promised something wouldn't hurt too badly, she had always been right.

"I take it you are John Sheppard?" she said.

John nodded. "I am." He pointed over his shoulder. "The big guy here is Ronon Dex. My Second."

"I am Sharlise." She reached out suddenly and ran a finger across his brow. Her skin was softer than he would have expected. "You are a brave soul."

"For agreeing to this?"

She chuckled. "No. For the way you fight and the way you stand your ground. I met your Elizabeth earlier, but she said you insisted on having this done first."

John shrugged, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach at Elizabeth being called his. "I want to know what this is like before she goes through it."

Her smile widened. "That is very good."

She lowered herself into the chair and John sat across from her. There were several pots to her left and she picked one up, placing it in front of her and removing the lid. There was a faint smell, but John couldn't identify it - and then she was brushing it onto the skin of his left wrist with a cloth.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A numbing agent."

He watched her closely, unable to move his eyes away. Once she had covered the inside of his wrist in the clear substance, she reached for a long reed that reminded him of a pen. John figured that this would be the needle and his body tensed in anticipation. She dipped it into another of the jars nearby, but once Sharlise began moving it across his skin, it simply felt as though she were writing on him.

"It doesn't hurt."

She smiled, not taking her eyes from her work. "I told you that it would not."

"How do you know?" he asked. "What symbol to draw?"

"It is simply a matter of reading people." She looked up at him momentarily while she dipped the reed back into the ink. "You and your Elizabeth are very brave. You face many uncertainties in your life and you face them together. You've come close to losing one another, but but it has only brought you closer together." She paused. "She is your closest friend and the first person to truly believe in you. You would follow her into the flames of Galphor and back. And she would move every star in the galaxy to find you."

John swallowed hard, staring at the old woman in disbelief. "How..."

"We all have gifts, John Sheppard." She sat back. "There. You are finished."

He frowned, looking down at his wrist. He had expected it to take much longer, but the proof was there on his skin. An intricate set of lines danced around each other with small teardrops interspersed.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She nodded. "Will you send Elizabeth in next? She should be outside." John nodded and got up, reaching for his watch, but Sharlise focused her attention on Ronon. "Should you and yours ever decide to be Bonded, I would gladly perform this rite for you."

John paused. "Yours? Who's yours?" he asked.

Sharlise smiled. "He knows of whom I speak."

Instead of answering his friend, Ronon just nodded at the old woman. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome."

"You're really not gonna explain that one, are you?" John asked as they left the room.

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder. "You've got more important things to do, Sheppard," he replied.

The big man nodded at Elizabeth, who was standing just outside in the hallway and disappeared in the other direction. She looked a little nervous, her fingers clutched together in front of her, but she gave him a smile.

"How did it go?"

"Piece of cake." When she didn't seem to relax any, John looked her straight in the eye. "I'm serious, 'Lizabeth," he said quietly. "It's completely painless."

She took a deep breath at that and nodded. "Can I see it?"

He held his wrist out to her and she took it in her hands, running one finger across the skin lightly. John wasn't sure if the numbing agent was still at work, but it didn't seem tender at all. His mouth went dry though as Elizabeth continued to touch him and he wondered when all of the air had been sucked out of the hallway.

"It's pretty," she finally said, looking up at him.

Her hands still held his wrist, but he managed to take in enough air to speak. "In a manly way, of course."

Her smile widened. "Of course." She let go of him, and John couldn't help but feel how cold his skin felt without her. "So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything."

She turned to walk into the room but paused at the last moment. She swiveled back and placed her hands on his shoulders, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. The act caught him so off-guard that by the time he turned to look at her, she was already in the room and the door closing behind her.

John kept himself from touching the place where her lips had touched him, but only just barely. Sliding his hands into his pockets instead, he walked down the hallway towards their quarters, a bounce in his step and a wide grin on his face.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: the song is Enya's "I Will Find You." I appropriated it for this fic and made it Skanderian :)**

* * *

The ceremony was held outside as the day faded into evening, and it looked to John as though the entire castle had shown up. People were dressed up, laughing and talking as they split into two groups, leaving a wide aisle that led straight to Torgen and Marlena. The whole thing reminded him of his first wedding, and he clenched his fists to keep his hands from shaking.

This time, though, it was Elizabeth at his side. She was still amazing in the dress the Skanderians had provided for her, and the smile she gave him was warm and trusting. His eyes sought out the new tattoo on her wrist - the partner to his own - and then he held out his hand. She took it without any hesitation and John found himself unable to speak - which was probably just as well. Swallowing roughing, he turned and led her down the aisle, Ronon and Teyla following behind them.

The rest of their team was at the front - an honor reserved for the families of those being Bonded. Danni, Lorne and Carson were all watching with a smile - though Danni's was closer to a smirk - and McKay just looked irritated. Then again, that was his natural expression, so John just ignored it.

Torgen smiled warmly as they stopped in front of him. "Friends, today we gather to witness the Bonding of two friends and leaders. I have seen personally the respect their people have for them. Already they work as though they are one, and today they will solidify that bond in front of all gathered here." He turned to John and nodded. "Colonel Sheppard."

Danni had gone over the ceremony with him a few times, and despite his nerves, he kept a handle on what he was supposed to do. Getting down on one knee, he pulled out the knife that she had given him. He knew that this was going to hurt, but he steeled himself and sliced the blade across his left palm. Swallowing past the pain, he squeezed his hand into a tight fist to let a few droplets of blood leak out.

But they never hit the ground. Elizabeth had taken a sharp breath when he cut himself and then was reaching for the white cloth that Danni had given her earlier. Reaching out, she cupped his fist with her hand and gently eased his fingers away from the wound. With a calm focus she bandaged the cut and then took his left hand in her right one so that their tattoos touched. Her eyes met his as she lifted both of their hands and rested them against her heart.

Neither saw the look that Torgen and Marlena shared.

"You are Bonded," the king said, his voice quiet though it carried across to the crowd. "No matter what the gates of Galphor unleash upon you, you will stand together, side-by-side, hand in hand. You will fight. You will bleed. You will heal. You will comfort. You will love and forgive and hold no other above this Bond. May the Maker bless you and keep you."

John rose slowly to his feet, but Elizabeth didn't let go of his hand. He found he didn't mind too much, either. He was too busy staring at her, feeling the blood from his hand pulse in time with her heart. He suddenly felt light-headed, but unbelievably grounded at the same time.

"Come!" Torgen said, his voice booming this time as he spread his arms wide. "Let us celebrate!"

The crowd cheered.

* * *

It turned out that celebrating for the Skanderians pretty much involved eating and drinking, which the Atlantis team had no problem joining in on. Tables had been set up across the expansive grounds, and lanterns hung from trees in a dazzling array of colors. John and Elizabeth were joined by most of their team, though there were quite a few soldiers who sat amongst their hosts, and Torgen and Marlena sat with them as well.

The king leaned over towards John as they finished the main course. "I have been told that it is customary in your culture for there to be music at an event such as this."

"Well, we don't exactly have a Bonding ceremony. Though I guess you could say that it's fairly close to our weddings. The music we usually have at those isn't good, though, and there's a lot of bad dancing that happens."

Torgen laughed. "Then I hope you forgive me, friend. I urged one of your companions to give us a song to commemorate your Bonding."

John frowned. "Who?"

The other man didn't need to answer though. Danni had left her seat and was now standing amidst the tables; talking came to a gradual halt as every eye turned to her.

"We don't have to dance, do we?" John asked, suddenly panicked.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and rested her hand on his arm. "I think she's just going to sing, John. Think of it as a gift to be appreciated from your seat."

He was much more okay with that idea than the dancing. And as Danni began to sing, he was reminded of just how comforting her and beautiful her voice was.

_Hope is your survival_

_A captive path I lead_

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_If it takes a long long time_

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_If it takes a thousand years_

John felt the king give a small start beside him. "What is it?" he whispered.

Torgen shook his head. "This...it is a very old Skanderian Bonding song and has not been sung at one of our ceremonies in many years. I did not expect it."

John frowned, looking first at Danni and then the rest of the guests. The Skanderians were staring at her with a mixture of surprise and newfound respect. Glancing to his left, he caught Elizabeth's eye, but she just shook her head.

_Nachgochema_

_Anetaha_

_Anachemowagan_

He barely had time to register the fact that he didn't understand the next few words. Many of the men around him - including Torgen - were getting to their feet, and with the next part of the song, their voices joined Danni's.

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_In the place with no frontiers_

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_If it takes a thousand years_

_Hale wú yu ga I sv_

_Do na dio sv I_

_Wi ja lo sv_

_Ha le wú yu_

_Do na dlo sv_

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_If it takes a long long time_

_No matter where you go_

_I will find you_

_If it takes a thousand years_

It was beautiful. As the song grew, so did the voices, with the women standing as well to join them. The moment was heavy and yet it moved with an easy fluidity, carrying them along despite the fact that they didn't completely understand what was going on. John looked to Danni as though she might be able to explain, even with just a look, but her eyes never met his. He caught the meaningful look she shared with Lorne, but other than that, she kept her gaze locked on the sky.

Elizabeth's hand slid down from its spot on his arm and captured his hand in hers. The gesture surprised him, but it was comforting. He wasn't someone that went out of his way to touch other people, but with Elizabeth he realized that touch was something severely lacking in his life. He looked down to see their tattoos once again settle against each other, and he felt it all the way down to his toes. It was a sense of completeness that would have scared him had it not been for the fact that it comforted him beyond understanding.

The song eventually faded away, and there was a warm silence left in its wake.

"Lady Danielle," Torgen finally said, his voice thick. "You have done us a great honor this evening and we thank you. For reminding us."

She curtsied with a grace that John had never seen before, and when she straightened back up, the look of pain in her eyes rocked him to his core. But by the time she had reached their table it was gone, and the celebration continued on into the night.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I promise more concrete Danni stuff is coming!**

* * *

Elizabeth found herself rubbing at the tattoo on her wrist and she forced her thumb to still. It had been nearly two weeks since returning from Skandar, and her opposite hand drifted to the new mark multiple times a day. Her thumb would trace the black lines over and over again, the action soothing away some of her daily stress. She wondered at that, her eyes now moving over the design instead of her fingers.

There had been a subtle shift in her relationship with John ever since the Bonding ceremony. She wasn't sure that it was anything other people could see, but she could feel it every time he looked at her. They had always been in sync - she was sure that was the only reason they led Atlantis as well as they did - but there was more to it now. Not only were they thinking along the same lines, but sometimes she was convinced that they were breathing in the same rhythm. Even as she told herself that that was ridiculous, Elizabeth couldn't shake the feeling. Something was different._ They_ were different.

Shaking her head slightly, she tried to focus on the report in front of her again. John and his team were off-world, which meant she should have had less distractions instead of more. And they were scheduled to be back in just a couple of hours. She needed to get through these reports so that she could debrief them before John dragged her off to get something to eat. He never let her slide on that one.

"Elizabeth?"

She couldn't deny that she was grateful for Carson's interruption then. Looking up, she smiled at him as he stepped into her office.

"Carson," she greeted warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I just wanted to check in with you."

She gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"

He pointed at her wrist. "The tattoo. The Skanderians were very friendly - I quite like them, myself, to be honest, but sometimes these other worlds use plants and dyes that don't mesh well with our immune systems. I wanted to make sure that you weren't experiencing any adverse symptoms. May I?"

Elizabeth held out her wrist and he did a cursory exam that took no more than a minute. Obviously satisfied with what he saw, he didn't let her go right away, letting himself examine the design itself.

"It really is beautiful," he murmured. "The whole ceremony was. I especially enjoyed Danni's song."

Elizabeth nodded. "That was an unexpected gift. I heard King Torgen tell John that it was a traditional Skanderian song that hadn't been used in ages. How do you think she knew that?"

Carson shrugged. "There's a lot about her I can't even begin to understand. She's a lovely woman, though. She comes down sometimes and visits me in the infirmary, just to talk. And of course, she and Laura are quite close."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least."

"No, myself either. They've certainly both got..."

"Spunk?"

He smiled. "Aye. I think that's a fitting word." He paused. "Have you noticed something different with her lately? She seems to be a bit...distant. Perhaps even melancholy."

Elizabeth frowned. "Laura?"

"No, no, no. Danni."

Her frown deepened and she thought back to the past couple of weeks and her interactions with the younger woman. She realized that they had been few and far between - much more scarce than they normally were. Danni had still been going on missions with John's team, but she hadn't been at as many meals. She certainly hadn't been stopping by just to chat.

"Now that you mention it," she said slowly. "Have you asked Major Lorne? He and Danni seem to be good friends."

"Laura did. He didn't have an answer, though. He said that normally she's the same as ever, but every now and then she falls quiet and looks like she's remembering something not altogether pleasant. When he asks her about it, she just smiles and shakes it off."

"Could just be the blues," Elizabeth ventured.

"It could be."

"Of course, that's a classic avoidance technique."

Carson gave her a knowing smile. "One that some people here are quite familiar with."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She sat up straighter, taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure there's much we can do for her if she's not willing to talk, though."

"I agree. She's usually so sunny, though. I don't like to think that she's hurting and not letting anyone know."

Elizabeth gave him a warm smile. That was one of the things she loved most about Carson - if you were his friend, he cared about you deeply, and he'd go out of his way to take care of you. He was most definitely the mother hen of Atlantis, and she didn't think there was a person in the city who disliked him.

She opened her mouth to respond to him, but was stopped short by a sudden pain in her right thigh. It wasn't excruciating, but it was sharp, and it caught her off-guard. Pressing her hand down onto it, she tried to massage the muscle, wondering if she had been sitting for too long.

It didn't get past Carson. "Elizabeth? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I think it's just a leg cramp."

"Best remedy for that is a walk," he said firmly. "Fancy a cup of coffee?"

He posed it as a question, but there wasn't an inch of wiggle room in his voice. Elizabeth got to her feet and took a moment to stretch, the pain now dull and just barely at the edge of her notice. She really did need to get up more often and take walking breaks. Otherwise her body was just going to collapse in on itself from lack of use.

"Coffee sounds great," she said, following him out of the room.

* * *

Danni wondered how John Sheppard managed to attract so many bullets. And spears. And other weapons that had a tendency to wound, maim, or kill. She hda known a lot of soldiers in her life, but this was just ridiculous. In their three years on Atlantis, she was sure he had the most infirmary time clocked - though she had to admit that Ronon and Teyla probably weren't too far behind.

They'd all be seeing Carson after this one.

The first spear had been menat for Sheppard's stomach, a fact that made Danni's blood boil. She understood that not every planet would be friendly, and she accepted that there would even be some whose inhabitants would try to kill them. But a shot to the stomach wasn't about killing someone. It was about them suffer for a torturous amount of time. It was cruel and it was almost always calculated.

She had heard it whistling through the air three seconds before it reached them. She was walking behind John, half-listening to something Rodney was saying. And then every muscle in her body tensed. She reached forward, grabbing a handful of John's jacket and threw them both to the left, her body half a heartbeat behind his.

The spear hit them both.

It was only a graze across his right thigh, but it managed to take a decent chunk out of Danni's leg. A hoarse cry escaped her as they hit the ground. She landed on top of Sheppard and stayed there as spears continued to fly, relieved to see that the rest of the team had taken cover as well.

"Dammit," John hissed, pressing a hand to his bleeding thigh.

"You okay?"

"I'll live."

"I would prefer it if you did."

"Who the hell is trying to kill us anyway?" he demanded. "We haven't been on the planet long enough to piss someone off. Why -" He cut off, eyes catching the blood that was pouring out of her own wound. "Dammit, Danni -"

He leaned forward to attend to her leg, but she pushed him away. "I'm fine, Sheppard. We need to get out of here."

"We need to stop the bleeding."

"I'm fine," she repeated. There was a break in the weapons hurtling around them, but she could hear movements in the undergrowth, and she knew that they were being tracked. "Think they're smart enough to guard the gate?" He didn't answer her, instead giving her a hard glare. "John?"

"We're not talking about this until you let me bandage your leg. I'm not gonna have you bleeding to death out here!"

She was going to brush him off again, but the look in his eyes stopped her words. She knew that if their positions were reversed, she would do the same thing. She also knew what the team meant to John, and how important it was to him to keep everyone safe. It would cause him real pain for her to not let him do this.

"Okay," she said quietly. "But can we talk while you do it?"

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah."

Danni watched him pull a bandage roll out of his bag and he went to work quickly. He wasn't a medic, but he knew enough to stem the bleeding until they could get back to Atlantis.

"So what do you think?" she asked. "Guarding the gate?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether they're trying to get us off their planet or keep us here."

She nodded. That was exactly the answer she'd been expecting. "A distraction might help us out here."

John agreed, but his radio buzzed in his ear. It was Teyla. He told her they were both wounded and asked her if she could set a timed charge to go off somewhere deeper in the woods. The conversation took less than two minutes and then the Athosian woman was off. Forty-five seconds later, Ronon and Rodney joined them.

"This is ridiculous!" Rodney exclaimed. "Why are we always getting shot at! What did you do this time?"

John gave him a hurt look. "Me? I didn't do anything! They just started throwing things at us!"

Ronon's eyes were on their injuries. "Graze?" he asked Sheppard. John nodded as he finished tying off the bandage, and the big man's gaze moved over to Danni. "And you?"

She gave a small shrug. "Eh. It's only a flesh wound."

John let out a little snicker at that, obviously catching the Monty Python reference. She hadn't taken him for a British humor kind of guy, but she chuckled as well.

Teyla was back in record time, crouching down beside them. "There are a number of men tracking us," she reported. "I did not recognize them, but they seem intent on finding us. I suggest we start moving now."

"Think you can run?" John asked Danni.

She rolled her eyes. "I can still beat you," she promised.

"I sincerely hope so. Alright, people, let's move."

The C4 went off just as they were passing their attackers, the lush undergrowth providing them with cover. There was confusion and a lot of yelling, and then the hunters rushed off toward the explosion and the Atlantis team continued to head for the gate. Both John and Danni were limping by the time they reached the edge of the trees, each leaning against a separate trunk for support.

"Three guards," Ronon observed. "I'm thinking we just charge 'em."

"Really?" Rodney asked. "That's your strategy?"

"I like it," Danni said. "Hard and fast. They won't know what hit 'em."

"They're pretty damn good with those spears," John pointed out.

"Then we need another distraction," she replied. "Ronon, Teyla...you think you can hit those guys with your stunners if they're looking somewhere else?"

Ronon nodded. "No problem."

"Good. I'll meet you at the gate."

Without waiting for a response - which she knew would come in the form of an argument - Danni plunged out of the woods, seemingly cutting across open ground to reach the opposite tree line. All three guards turned towards her in surprise, arms moving up into throwing position automatically. Not a single spear was let loose, though, as Ronon and Teyla raced out and took them out. Danni stopped and changed direction, heading back towards her team. She could tell John was pissed.

"Are you insane!" he yelled.

"We should get home," she replied, glad that Rodney was already dialing the gate. "You can yell at me then."

"You can count on it," he said darkly. "You're damn lucky you're not a soldier. I'd have your ass for a move like that."

Danni chuckled and clapped his shoulder, heading towards the activated gate. "This ass already belongs to someone else."

John didn't find the humor in it, and he stomped after her, the rest of the team right behind him.


	19. Chapter 19

John stood in the doorway of her office, leaning against the frame as he watched her. It amazed him how deeply she could immerse herself in her work, losing all sense of the world around her. He let himself watch her for longer than he normally would, eyes naturally traveling down to the tattoo on the inside of her wrist. His own was hidden by the black band he wore, but he still found himself rubbing at the spot throughout the day. His gaze stayed fixed on her own mark, frowning as a thought slowly dawned on him; a suspicion laid out as fact even though he had no way of knowing it.

"You're staring," Elizabeth said suddenly, looking up with an amused smirk.

Her voice startled him - usually he was able to catch her more off-guard. To hide his jump, he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to glower at her. "You haven't eaten since breakfast."

She didn't try to deny it. "How could you possibly know that?"

John shrugged. "I know you."

Her eyes narrowed, but she let it go. "How are you feeling?"

His injured leg shifted slightly at the mention. "It's better."

There was only a small pause. "Liar."

"I would never."

"John -"

"It really is better, 'Lizabeth. To be completely honest, it still twinges a little bit. But I'm ifine/i."

He came all the way into the office, seating himself in the chair across from her own. Elizabeth watched him closely, leaning forward.

"What about Danni?"

He immediately scowled. "She's fine. Apparently."

John Sheppard was not a man to talk about his feelings. Elizabeth knew that. But as she stared across her desk at him, it was almost as though she didn't need him to talk about it. She could feel what was rolling through him. Though he was more than willing to sacrifice his life for other people, he absolutely hated it when someone else tried to do the same for him. The fact that Danni had simply thrown herself into danger without giving him any warning - after already being injured saving his life - made him sick to his stomach. The young woman meant a lot to him - something else he wouldn't readily put words to - and John Sheppard was terrified of losing the people he cared about. It was a desperation so palpable Elizabeth thought the air pulsed with it at times.

"Why are you the only one allowed to risk your life?" she asked quietly.

He shifted uncomfortably, not meeting her gaze. "It's my job."

"You're family to her. That makes it her job, too."

Any words he might have had for that got stuck in his throat, which he tried to clear as he looked out through the glass walls of her office. Not for the first time, Elizabeth had the feeling that if she really pressed it, she could get him to open up to her. But it would cost him something that she couldn't quite understand and she wasn't willing to take that from him by force. She just hoped that he knew that he could always come to her.

"Any idea why you were attacked in the first place?" she asked, shifting the subject to more comfortable ground.

John shook his head, his relief evident. "No. Which probably means it's going to come back to bite us in the ass."

"I didn't think we'd done anything lately to upset anyone."

"I've been on my best behavior," he promised.

Her eyebrow rose. "This is your best behavior?"

"Hey now." He really had the injured puppy look down to a science. "I haven't started any problems in iages/i. In fact, I think I've made more friends than enemies lately. That's gotta count for something."

Her smile was warm. "Of course it does."

"You're placating me, aren't you?"

"If it makes you feel better, I do it to you far less than I do Rodney."

"Oddly enough, there's a sense of comfort there."

"I thought there might be."

He frowned suddenly, eyes narrowing. "You really should eat, Elizabeth. And don't lie to me and tell me that you're not hungry."

She tilted her head slightly to one side in surprise - that had been exactly what she was going to do. "Maybe I was just waiting for the right company."

John gave her a smug grin. "No one better to join you for a late dinner than your husband."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth stood up and stretched. "We're Bonded, John. Not married."

He shrugged. "Seems like a fine line."

"Then I think you owe me a real date."

She inwardly froze as the words fell out of her mouth. John seemed a bit surprised as well, but then his smile turned warm and sincere.

"You just tell me when," he said softly.

Her face flushed, Elizabeth headed for the door. "Let's go eat."

She could feel his eyes on her back. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Evan watched her sleep. His sheets had pooled around her waist as she slept on her stomach, and he couldn't help but ghost his fingers across her lower back. Her blond curls reached just below her shoulder blades and his hand moved there naturally, letting silken strands shift through his fingers. She was beautiful and she was his.

Nothing more had happened on Skandar than a few stolen kisses and goofy smiles. When they had arrived back in Atlantis, though, he invited Danni to dinner and then escorted her back to her quarters, hands joined between them. There they had stopped, Danni looking at him thoughtfully as she bit her bottom lip. Evan couldn't resist - didn't even try to - and he had leaned in and kissed her softly. He had meant to keep it that way, to keep things between them moving at a slower pace, but all of that went out the window when she kissed him more deeply and invited him inside. It had been a long time since Evan had cared so much about someone, and he couldn't ignore the feeling that coursed through him every time he looked at her. This wasn't just two compatible people hooking up - everything about her being with him felt right. The way she said his name as they came together only confirmed that for him. And in the morning she had been curled against him, warm and perfect.

That was how they spent almost all of their mornings now.

His eyes drifted down to her legs. Hesitating for just a moment, he lifted the sheet up and looked at her thigh, where she had been injured off-world. He remembered the terror choking him when she'd come through the gate bleeding like that, but Carson had said it wasn't too bad. He had patched her up and sent her to her quarters for some rest.

Only a couple of days ago, and there was no trace of the injury left.

Evan wasn't sure what that meant. He knew that healing like that wasn't normal. She should have still been limping, wincing when she accidentally put too much pressure on the leg or moved it the wrong way. But there was none of that. When he had mentioned it to her, she had just shrugged it off, saying that she had always healed quickly. He let the sheet drop back down. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew what he ifelt/i. And unless circumstances proved otherwise, nothing else really mattered for now.

"Morning."

His eyes jumped to hers, now open and watching him with a warm smile. His face returned it without any thought and he stretched out next to her again, pushing a few stray hairs from her face.

"Morning."

"I forgot to tell you something last night."

Evan frowned slightly. "What was that?"

Danni grinned. "I love you."

His chest tightened in the most wonderful way and he kissed her, one hand pressed against her bare back as he pulled her closer.

"I love you," he murmured, kissing her again.

This was how mornings were supposed to start.

* * *

John still wasn't really talking to her, and to be honest, it was pissing Danni off. She understood why he was upset; she didn't like it when people threw themselves in front of danger for her, either. But that was how it worked when people cared about you, and it was something that he was just going to have to get used to. As long as she was around, nothing really bad was going to happen to him.

"This is ridiculous," she sighed as he led his team through another forest on another probably-deserted planet. "You can't give me the silent treatment forever."

"If I was giving you the silent treatment, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Danni stopped and gave him a hard look. "Seriously, Sheppard. You're pouting - and not in a cute way."

He didn't say anything in response, but he did stop walking and turned to face her. The rest of the team was a little ways behind and catching up, but she figured this was as good a time as any.

"Look," she said softly, "I get it. And I'm sorry that I scared you or upset you. But if I had to do it again? I totally would. Just like Ronon or Teyla would have. You would have forgiven them by now, though. So why are you still holding it against me?"

John wasn't making eye contact with her and he was shifting his weight uncomfortably. He opened his mouth to answer her - or to make a defensive remark, at least - but something tickled at the edges of Danni's attention and she held up a hand to stop him.

"Did you hear...?"

There was a sharp sting in her neck and she saw John raising his gun before the world went dark.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: WARNINGS FOR TORTURE SCENES. Just wanted to get that out there before you guys continued on.**

* * *

Elizabeth rested her elbows on the table, pressing her fingers against her forehead. Her job was stressful and she'd been known to have a few headaches before, but this one had caught her completely unawares. There was no real reason that she could discern; there weren't any more stresses on her than usual, and she had actually gotten more sleep in the past couple of days than she normally did. She'd even been eating regularly and drinking more water - thanks to John, but that was beside the point.

It didn't feel quite like a stress headache, either. The pain started just behind her left ear. When she probed at it gingerly, she hissed; it was almost like there was a bruise there. But she knew she hadn't hit her head.

"Dr. Weir?"

She looked up to see Colonel Caldwell taking a seat across from her, his tray full of steaming food. The look he gave her was of cautious concern, and she knew that he wouldn't be fooled by any obvious lies.

"Steven," she greeted with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. A little antsy at being stuck in this galaxy, truth be told."

"Understandable. I'm sorry that we can't get you back to Earth just yet."

Caldwell shrugged. "Keeping Earth safe is more important right now. And since the bridge is still out and my ship is still being repaired, I'll just have to be content with being here."

Her smile turned into one of amusement. "Plus, I hear you're getting along quite well with one of our techs."

A blush crept up his neck and settled with fury in the tips of his ears as he let out a cough. "What exactly have you heard?"

Elizabeth laughed at that. "Don't worry, Steven. I just meant that you've found someone to make you happy. That's a good thing."

"I could say the same about you," he said, suddenly turning the tables on her. "Except for the past few minutes of course." Concern swept over his face again. "Have you been having bad headaches a lot lately?"

"No," she answered honestly. "This one just came out of nowhere. It feels...well, it feels like someone knocked me upside the head with something hard."

Caldwell frowned. "Have you talked to Dr. Beckett about it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It seems silly to go to him for just a headache."

He studied her carefully for a moment. "If it gets worse..."

"If it gets worse, I'll go see him," she promised. She forced the smile back onto her face as she tried to focus on something other than the pain. "Now let's talk about that tech...what was her name again?"

* * *

John slowly came to, his mouth feeling like it had been lined with sandpaper and his head pounding. Sadly, those weren't completely foreign feelings for him, and he fully expected to open his eyes and find himself chained to a wall in some dark and dank dungeon.

He had everything right except the chained up part.

It took some blinking for his eyes to stay open and focus on his surroundings. The light had a red tint to it, but there was enough to clearly see that he was in a large cell. Though his limbs were heavy, he was able to move them, and he rubbed one hand down his face as he tried to get his mind to fully function again.

He looked around again. At least he wasn't alone.

"Colonel," Teyla breathed, coming to crouch by his side, "you're awake."

"Looks like," he said, his voice sounding like gravel. "The hell happened?"

"Ambushed," Ronon growled from a corner. John could see a large bruise forming near one of his eyes. "They were everywhere. Drugged us and we woke up here."

"They hit you," Rodney supplied helpfully. "I saw that much before something stung me in the neck."

Something about that tickled John's memory and turned his head quickly, ignoring the pain as he looked around the cell again.

"Where's Danni?"

"We do not know," Teyla said, placing a restraining hand on his arm. "I remember she was the first to fall...I do not think she escaped their notice."

"What about our captors?" he pressed. "Who the hell is in charge here?"

"That would be me, Colonel Sheppard."

They all turned to see Kolya stepping up to the door, hands clasped behind his back and a sadistic grin tugging at his lips. John felt a new rage build inside of him, and he forced himself to his feet, using the wall behind him to steady his balance.

"And what the hell do you want?" he demanded. "Atlantis isn't going to negotiate with you - not even for our release."

"You misunderstand, Colonel. I am not interested in anything Atlantis can give me. Not this time, anyway. In fact, I am not interested in _you_ at all."

John's eyes narrowed. "Then what are you after?"

Kolya didn't answer. Instead, a scream ripped through the silence, laced with pain and torment. John froze, fear lodging in his throat.

"I simply have some questions for your comrade," Kolya said softly. "I'm sure you'll be on your way home in no time."

Another scream pierced the air.

* * *

Walking towards her quarters, Elizabeth came to a sudden stop, reaching out to lean one hand against the nearest wall. The other pressed against her stomach and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She wasn't quite feeling nauseous, but she didn't feel...right. Focusing on her breathing, she thought back to what she had eaten that day. She had almost missed lunch iand/i dinner, but Carson had come to her rescue, making sure that she got out of the office and got something in her system. It was almost like he was taking care of the little things that she always overlooked like John did when he was there.

But there was nothing she had eaten that should have disagreed with her. There had been a few points in her life where she had been so tired that she was actually sick to her stomach; this didn't feel like that either, though. This was something new.

She frowned. That wasn't entirely true. Though she'd never felt _quite_ this way before, it was akin to the way she felt when she just knew that John had managed to get himself into trouble again. Elizabeth had learned to trust that feeling over the past couple of years and she wasn't about to start ignoring it now. Raising a hand, she activated her radio.

"Major Lorne? Please meet me in my office in ten minutes. And bring Dr. Beckett if you would."

_"On my way, ma'am."_

Elizabeth turned and headed back towards her office.

* * *

Hands clasped behind his back, Kolya bent at the waist and peered down at her. Danni fought the urge to lean away. Honestly, Kolya was not the worst or most disgusting man to have capture her. She hated him, but she didn't fear him.

Or she didn't fear for her own life with him. She was terrified for the rest of her team. She knew that Kolya had a sick obsession with John and Elizabeth and wanted to cause them as much pain as possible.

Pain. She certainly had plenty of that at the moment. Afraid for her life or not, her body _hurt_. It didn't surprise her that Kolya had a propensity for torture, and she could see the pleasure he was getting from it. She silently vowed to share some of her pain with him just as soon as she got the chance. Just as soon as whatever he had drugged her with had worn off and she could think clearly through the situation.

He drew another long slice down her right arm, and though she shook, she managed to keep from flinching.

"Just tell me what I want to know," he said quietly, as though it were the most logical thing in the world, "and I will let you go."

"I seriously doubt that."

"I am a man of my word, Ms. Cordogan."

"You're a sadistic bastard," she shot back, "and your word is shit."

He struck her then. Something inside of her complained that after so many hits, her face should have started to become numb to the blows. Each one stung just a little bit more, though, and she couldn't help the way her eyes teared at the sensation. Danni counted herself lucky that he hadn't broken her cheekbone or her jaw yet. Of course, it would be difficult to talk around an injury like that, so perhaps it wasn't luck.

"The Heir," he said quietly. "Give me the name of the Heir."

She didn't even answer him. She forced herself to stare straight ahead, expression blank.

"Give me the Heir, and I will spare your life."

Danni didn't bother to point out his lies this time. He towered above her, waiting for an answer that wasn't going to come. She could feel the tension and frustration building inside of him, and yet it still surprised her slightly when he finally snapped.

"Fine," he hissed, grabbing her by one shoulder and hauling her to her feet. "You brought this on yourself."

He dragged her from the room then, flanked by soldiers that kept her escapist tendencies muted. She didn't know the layout of the building and she didn't know where her friends were - not to mention the drugs that hadn't quite let go of her system yet. She still needed to be patient and bide her time.

Eventually, the hallway opened up into a larger room that had a cell at one end of it. Danni just had time to register that her team was behind bars before Kolya hit the back of her legs and forced her to her knees.

John was at the bars in an instant, ignoring the way his head swam and the pins and needles that attacked his limbs.

"Kolya..." he growled, hoping to intimidate the man despite his lack of advantages.

"This has nothing to do with you, Colonel Sheppard," Kolya said, his eyes locked on Danni. "Unless you can give me the information I seek, the only thing you can do is watch."

"We do not know what information you are looking for," Teyla pointed out in a quiet voice. "It is difficult to give you an answer to a question we do not know."

He looked up then. "I want the Heir, Ms. Emmagan. Can you give me the Heir's name or location? Because that is the only thing that will save your comrade right now."

John frowned. He had no idea what Kolya was talking about. Exchanging a glance with Rodney, he knew that his friend was just as clueless as he was. Ronon and Teyla were another story though. Both of their bodies had stilled at Kolya's question and Ronon's eyes had gone hard. John knew his friends, and he knew when they were hiding something. Both of them understood Kolya's question.

"We do not know the Heir," Teyla said finally.

"But you know of him," Kolya pressed.

"Everyone does," Ronon grunted. "I haven't visited a planet yet that doesn't know the story. But it's just a story. You're chasing a legend."

"Legend has its roots in truth, Mr. Dex. And your friend Danni knows that truth."

"Why would you want the Heir, Kolya?" Ronon asked. "There are only two groups who would be digging for information on him, and I don't think you're a part of either."

"Consider it a business venture."

Ronon's eyes narrowed. "You're working for the Wraith."

"With them, yes. They have the means to give me something I would very much like. And I have the means to get them the information they've been hunting for ten thousand years. I always was a fan of a fair trade agreement."

"You really think you can get me to talk?" Danni asked. Her shoulders ached from having her hands bound behind her back, and her knees throbbed from where they had hit the concrete. "Crueler men than you have tried to get this information, Kolya. I didn't give it to them, and I'm sure as hell not going to give it to you."

"Everyone blusters at the threat of torture," Kolya replied. "But everyone has a breaking point."

He nodded to a couple of his men and they unchained her hands before taking hard grips on both her arms. John watched in horror as Kolya turned to a nearby table and picked up what looked like a railroad spike and a hammer. He needed to get out, to cause some kind of diversion so that they could get Danni away from him. But he had nothing - his weapons were gone, all of his pockets emptied. He glanced over at Ronon, hoping for the knives the Satedan was known for keeping in his hair, but the big man shook his head. They had no options.

"I have been told that this hurts a great deal," Kolya said, walking back over to Danni. "You can spare yourself this pain. Just because you give me the Heir's name doesn't mean I'll find him right away. But keeping your silence will be the equivalent of burying your own grave."

Danni's only response was to straighten her back and stare straight at John. His hands gripped the bars of his cell and his stomach roiled as Kolya set the spike against the front of Danni's left shoulder. With a tilt of his head, he gestured to some of his men hold her steady and then he raised the hammer.

"KOLYA!" John screamed. "Kolya, don't do this!"

He swung the hammer and Danni's screams filled the air. It didn't matter what other pain she had endured in her life, or the strength of her resolve - no one could keep quiet in the face of this. She lost count of how many swings it took, and the tears in her eyes made John and the others blurry. She could still see him kicking at the bars, though, with Ronon joining in. The door didn't budge.

When the spike was finally all the way in, the hands that had been holding her fell away and she toppled forward, sobbing against the floor. Blood soaked her shirt and poured down her arm. Her heart was pounding and she wished that it would slow down so that she could try to think around the pain. The drugs were gone now, she knew that, and if they were going to get out of here, she was going to have to come up with a plan quickly.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Kolya sighed. He waved a hand at one of his men. "Bring me Dr. McKay. She may not care about her own life, but I doubt she'll let one of them die."

The soldier eyed the door warily. "Sir," he said slowly, "don't you think the Satedan will attack if we open the cell?"

"Ah, yes." He pulled out his gun and pressed it to Danni's head. "Should any of you make a move, I'll blow her head off."

Danni's eyes slid to the side so that she was glancing up at her tormentor. "Kolya...I've kept this secret almost my entire life...what makes you think _you_ can get it out of me?"

He gave her a small shrug. "Sheppard would never forgive you for letting Dr. McKay die."

He wasn't wrong about that. "Some things are more important than forgiveness," she murmured.

Danni pressed her palms into the cool concrete floor, steadying her breathing and clearing her mind. This was going to be the only chance they got, if all of them were going to get out of here. It would be easier if she was alone, but she wasn't going to leave any of them behind. They were her team and her family and she'd never been one to abandon the people she loved. Bracing herself as one of the soldiers unlocked the cell, she raised her eyes to meet Ronon's.

He nodded.

She waited until the door was more than halfway open before she made her move. Her right hand shot up, catching Kolya's arm and moving it up and away from her head. He squeezed the trigger but it was too late, and the bullet ricocheted off of the far wall.

Ronon made his move at the same time. The look he had given Sheppard earlier had only meant that they couldn't make a move yet, not that he was unarmed. With the door open, he reached into his dreadlocks and pulled out a knife, deftly throwing it so that it lodged in the throat of a nearby soldier.

John reached out and yanked McKay back into the cell, making sure that he was at the back of the charge. There were six soldiers in the room with Kolya, and without their weapons, John and his team were forced into hand-to-hand combat. The close quarters helped them take out their opponents before they could fire any shots, and John could admit that he took a sharp pleasure out of knocking one of them out cold.

But Kolya was the one he really wanted. Turning from the unconscious man at his feet, his eyes sought out his enemy only to find that Danni was already fighting him. She delivered a backhanded blow that sent Kolya stumbling back and then landed a solid kick to the center of his chest. The former Genii leader fell to the ground hard, but one hand delved into his uniform, ostensibly to grab another weapon. John stepped down on that hand with force, pointing a stolen gun at his head.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned. He looked up at his friends. "Everybody okay?"

They all nodded, even Danni, which was just ridiculous. But she stepped forward, eyes hard as she looked down at the man who had tortured her.

"Kill me now," he spat. "Or I will come after you again. I will have the Heir."

"No," she said calmly, "you won't." She paused, seemingly weighing her options. "I can't kill you. Sheppard tends to be touchy about things like that."

John shrugged. "It's true."

"A weakness," Kolya spat. "That is what keeps him from being a great leader."

"No," Danni disagreed again. "It's what makes him a great man." She looked around at the dead and unconscious soldiers. "We can't just let you go, though. Being one of the good guys doesn't mean we have to be a pushovers." She raised her eyes to John's. "Ideas?"

He nodded grimly. "I've got one." He turned to Ronon. "You wanna give me a hand, big guy?"

Teyla kept her gun at the ready as John, Ronon and even Rodney dragged the unconscious and dead soldiers into the cell. Danni thought about helping, but the truth was that she would only get in the way at this point. Her shoulder was throbbing, as were a great number of other body parts, and her eyes were heavy. She needed about a week's worth of sleep.

Kolya was the last to be dragged in. John had already handcuffed him, but once he had him in the cell, he undid the restraints just long enough to shackle his arms to the back wall.

"There," he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "I like it. It's a good look on you, Kolya."

Danni stepped in behind him. "Can I talk to him for a second?"

John glanced back over his shoulder at her. He hadn't had a chance yet to process everything that had just happened with her interrogation and his mind was a muddled mess. On top of that, she wasn't looking too good - understandably, of course.

"We should really get you home."

She gave him a tight smile. "It will really only take a minute. And I promise not to kill him."

"That's reassuring," Rodney muttered.

John hesitated for another few seconds and then stepped aside, but didn't leave the cell. He certainly didn't trust Kolya, and at the moment, he didn't know what was going on with Danni. Which meant that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight until they were back on Atlantis - and then they were going to have a seriously long discussion.

Danni stepped forward until she was right in front of Kolya. Her eyes never leaving his, she reached up with her right hand and took a hold of the spike in her shoulder. The process was slow and excruciating, and she thought that she might pass out from the pain, but eventually it was out, lying in a bloody pool in her hand. Black spots danced across her vision and her head swam. She stumbled slightly before taking a deep breath.

She half expected some kind of snide comment from Rodney, but her actions seemed to have shocked everyone into silence. She could feel all of their eyes on her, but she just took one more step closer to Kolya, holding up the bloody spike.

"You will not have the Heir," she said quietly. "I can promise you that." Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "And if you come after the Heir again, I will kill you."

She left it at that. Tossing the spike into a far corner of the cell, she regarded him for another moment and then punched him in the face, knocking him out. When she looked up at her companions, John and Rodney were staring at her in disbelief. She vaguely registered that Ronon and Teyla were looking at her with something slightly different - something with a hint of knowing.

"Can we go home now?" she asked.

The blood loss must have been more severe than she thought. The room around her started to narrow and darken and then John was there, catching her as she lost consciousness.


	21. Chapter 21

John and Lorne both sat outside of the infirmary, waiting for any kind of news on Danni. Sheppard wasn't particularly surprised to see the major there - he had known that the two of them had feelings for each other, and though neither had said anything, he had suspected that they were in a relationship now. He had been happy for them. Still was, really.

The only thing registering at the moment was confusion, though.

They'd only been halfway to the Gate when they were intercepted by Lorne and his team. The major had frozen when he saw John with Danni unconscious in his arms, both of them covered in blood. It had taken him half a minute to shake himself out of his shock and then he was moving forward, relieving Sheppard of his burden. Still a little numb from everything that had happened, John had handed her over without any objection.

He couldn't believe that she wasn't dead. Kolya had caused a lot of damage in his quest for information and the amount of blood that Danni had lost was staggering. They had frequently checked her heart rate on the journey back to Atlantis, though, and it never faded or even slowed. If it hadn't been for all of the blood, John could have believed that she was just sleeping.

Anger was slowly mingling with his confusion to create something else entirely. He was angry at Kolya, which wasn't anything new. The Genii soldier had done his best to take over Atlantis, to hurt Elizabeth, to cause John pain. There really wasn't anything John would put past the man. But seeing him enact so much torture and cruelty toward another human being had brought Sheppard to an all new level of understanding. There wasn't a shred of decency or honor in Kolya. He was just as bad as the Wraith, if not worse.

His jaw tightened. He was angry at Danni, too. She had always seemed more than a little mysterious; there was a glint in her eye sometimes that said she knew more than anyone else. But to be carrying a secret that other people were after, to be holding knowledge that could get her tortured or killed...that was something else entirely. He didn't understand what Kolya had been talking about, though he gathered that it was a person that he was looking for. Ronon and Teyla seemed to know about it as well, but he hadn't had a chance to question them about it yet. After he talked to Carson. After he knew that Danni was okay.

A small voice in his head reminded him that he was more than a little proud of her, as well. The torture she had undergone was horrific, and she still hadn't broken. He couldn't have asked more of any soldier under his command.

He turned his head, unsurprised when Elizabeth rounded the corner a few seconds later. Concern was radiating off of her in waves, but as she took a seat beside him, John immediately felt comforted. Her presence always did that for him, and though he didn't know how to put that into words, he hoped that she knew that.

"Carson radioed me," she said quietly. "They're all done in there."

Just as she finished speaking, Beckett stepped out of the infirmary looking tired and frustrated. John felt a cold knot in the pit of his stomach and he was only half a heartbeat behind Lorne in getting to his feet. Carson waved a hand at them.

"She's fine."

When he didn't explain any further, Lorne frowned. "Fine? Doc, I saw the blood. The wounds. I'm not sure 'fine' is the right word."

"Aye. Nevertheless, she's fine." He sighed. "By the time we got her onto the table, her wounds were already closing up. The bleeding had stopped. I can't explain it and I don't understand it. But she's stable and the puncture in her shoulder is almost completely healed."

"That doesn't make any sense. Humans don't heal like that," John objected.

"I know. Which is why I ran her DNA."

Lorne's eyes turned hard. "What - you think she's got Wraith in her or something?"

"I had to check," Carson said gently. "You know that. And just like Colonel Sheppard said - this isn't normal."

"What did you find?" John asked, steeling himself for an answer he was sure he wasn't going to like. He could feel Elizabeth move just a little closer to him, her presence reminding him to breathe.

Carson sighed. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Aye. Nothing. Her DNA is normal. Danni is human. Which is a huge relief, despite the fact that it leaves me with the fact that she has an unnatural ability to heal herself." He paused. "She woke up once, while we were trying to work on her. Gave me a small smile and said 'I just need sleep. A little sleep and I'll be fine.' I honestly thought we were losing her. But after she fell back to sleep, her body seemed to quicken the healing process even more."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone tried to digest that.

"Can I see her?" Evan asked quietly.

Carson nodded. "Aye. She's still out, but you can sit with her. I think she'd like to wake up and see your face."

"I want to talk to her."

Everyone turned to look at John, but Lorne was already turning to face his commanding officer, his body effectively blocking his entry to the infirmary.

"You hear the doc, Sheppard. She's still out."

"And I need answers."

"You're not just going to barge in there and start interrogating her! You told me yourself that she was tortured -"

"For information we didn't even know she had!"

"So - what? You want to go in there and yell at her because you're mad your friend didn't confide in you? Newsflash, Sheppard - she didn't tell me, either!"

The two men were in each others' faces now and Elizabeth stepped in. She knew that they were both frayed and at the end of their respective ropes - otherwise John wouldn't be making demands and Lorne wouldn't be yelling at his boss. Placing a hand on John's chest, she waited until he looked at her.

"You can talk to her after," she said firmly, her voice quiet. "There will be plenty of time to find out what this is all about after she's had a chance to recuperate. Besides," she added. "I need to talk to you about something else."

He wanted to push it, and she knew that. She could feel his body almost quivering with a desperate need to just _do something_. But eventually he took a few deep breaths and a step back, dragging his eyes away from her.

"Let us know when she's awake?"

"I'll call you myself, Sheppard," Lorne said, the fight leaving him.

John nodded once and then turned away, stalking down the hall. Giving Evan and Carson a sympathetic look, Elizabeth moved to follow him, the angry set of his shoulders like a knife to her heart. 

* * *

It took Danni a minute to orient herself once her eyes finally fluttered open. She could see that she was in the infirmary, a white curtain blocking her away from the other beds and the light above her dimmed slightly. A steady pressure gripped her left hand and she turned her head to see Lorne sitting by the bed, worry and relief warring in his eyes.

"Hey," he breathed, shifting forward.

She gave him a small smile. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

Her mind was clearing quickly; she remembered everything that had happened with Kolya. Her body tensed at the memory of all that pain, but as she did a mental check of each limb and muscle, she realized that she was okay.

"Not too bad," she admitted. "A little sore."

Evan swallowed roughly and his voice was low when he spoke. "Sheppard said you were stabbed with a railroad spike." His free hand drifted up to her shoulder. "Right here. I saw the wound. The blood."

She didn't take her eyes off of him. "Probably leaves you with a lot of questions, huh?"

"A few." He paused. "Doc ran your DNA."

"And?"

"We were all pretty relieved to hear that you're human. We're still pretty confused, though."

"There are some things I can't tell you," she said quietly. "Not any of you."

Lorne dropped his gaze. "Sheppard's not gonna be too happy with that."

"Not really worried about him right now."

He nodded slowly. "So what are you willing to tell us?"

"A few things. Do I need to tell you first, or can you wait for me to tell everyone at once? I don't really like repeating things."

He thought about it. "I can wait. I just have one question I need answered right now."

"Okay."

He met her eyes again. "You're one of the good guys, right?"

Danni felt tears stinging her eyes and she nodded. "Yeah," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm one of the good guys. I would never hurt or betray any of you. I promise."

Evan nodded again and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her temple. "That's good enough for me," he breathed. 

* * *

"I don't want to talk about it," John said as soon as they were out on the balcony alone. He stepped forward and gripped the railing staring out at the water.

Elizabeth nodded. She could feel his confusion, his anger, and his hurt. The emotions made her head swim and she struggled to block them out so that she could keep her thoughts straight. A part of her wasn't sure that this was the best time to bring this up, but at the same time, putting it off wouldn't do any good.

"There was actually something else I wanted to talk to you about," she said. "If you're up for it."

John turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Something wrong?"

"Not exactly." She took a deep breath, clasping her hands in front of her. "I don't want you to think I'm crazy."

That got him to relax a little and give her a little smirk. "I make no such promises."

Elizabeth gave him a glare before taking another breath. "I think the bonding ceremony may have bonded us more than we realized."

John's smirk faded. "What?"

"Did I eat lunch today?"

He shook his head at the quick subject change. "I doubt it. I wasn't here to drag you down to the mess."

"Think about it," Elizabeth said slowly. "Try to...There really is no non-crazy way to say this, so I'm just going to go with it. Reach out. With your mind."

"Elizabeth -"

"Please."

It was the urgency in her voice that go to him. Still not quite understanding - though a small voice in the back of his head said that maybe he did - John looked at Elizabeth closely and tried to focus only on her. He almost jumped when his own stomach growled.

"You haven't," he said slowly. "You haven't had anything but coffee all day." He frowned. "How do I know that?"

Elizabeth shrugged, not sure if she was more excited or frightened. "Why did my leg start hurting when you got grazed by a spear? Why have I been fighting a headache all day and feeling like I was drugged."

"Kolya drugged me."

"I know." She paused. "It gets weirder."

Both of his eyebrows shot up. "This can get weirder?"

"Touch your tattoo."

"Excuse me?"

Take your thumb and press it against the tattoo."

Still frowning, John did what she asked. Almost immediately he was hit with other sensations and he stumbled back a half a step. "You had trouble sleeping last night," he breathed. "Nightmares." He stared down at the tattoo in disbelief. "Oh wow."

"I told you it was weird."

John nodded, his eyes wide. "A little bit."

"John -"

She reached out for him and touched his hand. His thumb still rested against the tattoo and a wave of sensations washed over him, stealing his breath away. He could feel her. Not just physically. He could _feel_ her. It was like she was inside of him and he could feel everything she was feeling - everything she was feeling towards _him_. The breadth of it was staggering and when he looked up, he saw that her eyes were just as wide as his.

"'Lizabeth," he whispered.

John stepped forward and kissed her. There was no hesitation, no awkward moment. For a horrifying moment, he realized that if he knew how she felt about him, there was a damn good chance that she knew how he felt about her as well. The fear warred within him but it quickly succumbed to the sensation of Elizabeth in his arms, her mouth against his. Her kisses were eager and her enthusiasm matched his. John backed her up across the balcony until her back hit the wall. He pinned her arms there, hands sliding up to entwine with hers.

His tattoo pressed against hers.

It was like a whole new world opened up. It wasn't only that he knew Elizabeth wanted him - _loved_ him - but he could feel what she felt when he touched her. The goosebumps that cropped up on her arms. The shiver that ran up her spine. Her heart pounding in her ears. The inside of her chest bursting with a fire that spread to every part of her.

It was the headiest thing he'd ever experienced and he wanted _more_.

Everything sped up as John deepened the kiss. Both of them scrabbled for a better hold on each other, sighing and moaning as their bodies pressed against each other. He could hardly breathe, but he didn't want to pull away, not even for a second. He wanted to take her back to her quarters and make sure that she felt, that she _understood_...

A crackle in his ear. "Colonel Sheppard?"

The voice jolted him out of his thoughts and forced him to pull back slightly. Elizabeth must have heard it too; she was staring at him in disbelief and want, though, and John couldn't help but kiss her one more time.

"Colonel Sheppard."

"Yeah, Lorne. I'm here."

"Danni's awake, sir."

He nodded, reluctantly letting go of Elizabeth with a final squeeze of her hips. She dropped her eyes from his and something in him cracked slightly.

"We're on our way."


	22. Chapter 22

John was relieved that she was okay. He really was. For the moment, though, he positioned himself at the foot of her hospital bed and crossed his arms, forcing his expression to stay neutral. He could feel Elizabeth standing just to his left - _actually_ feel her, and he really couldn't deal with that right now, either - but he just kept staring at Danni.

She stared right back, obviously not intimidated by him in the least.

"This is the part where you start explaining," he forced out, his voice tight.

"You're not gonna like it," she warned.

"We need to know, Danni," Elizabeth said quietly. "Whatever it is got John and the rest of the team kidnapped. It's a security risk that we need to be informed about."

She nodded. "I know. If I had honestly thought someone knew who I was, or about the information I carry, I wouldn't have risked it. Apparently Kolya has joined forces with the Wraith, though. Which I have to admit...causes some concern."

There was a sound at the door, and they all turned to see Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney coming in.

"I had Lorne call them as well," Danni explained. "This way nobody has to try and retell the story." She paused. "You might want to sit down. It's not a short story."

She wasn't exactly surprised when John and Ronon chose to remain standing, while the others pulled up chairs. She frowned as she caught a heavy glance between John and Elizabeth - something wasn't quite right there. Now wasn't the time, though. Her friends needed answers, and deep inside, she knew they deserved them. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to meet John's eyes.

"Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that stood against the Wraith."

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that stood against the Wraith. There were other planets and peoples that tried to do the same, but they were usually broken and never heard from again. This kingdom, though, it stood tall. It never wavered. There were those who called it a light in the darkness, a continuing hope that the shadow might one day be defeated._

_The kingdom was Skandar. _

_They were a warrior people who loved peace. Though they trained and honed their skills until they were the best fighters in the galaxy, they also loved more deeply than anyone else. Their society was based on family and loyalty, and they held themselves to a standard that was otherwise unheard of. _

_In the earlier days of the war against the Wraith, there was a king. His name was Greymari, and his people held him in high esteem. He was kind and he was fair and he was firm. The people of Skandar flourished under his rule._

_There were two people in the kingdom that King Greymari relied on more than anyone else. They were brother and sister - twins - and they were the most fearsome warriors in the kingdom. Cousins to the king and members of the royal line, Jodorran was the captain of the king's guard, while Danniera was the captain of the queen's. The two of them led the kingdom's forces into battle time and time again, wreaking havoc on the Wraith. They moved in sync, almost seeming to think as one at times. The Skanderians were undefeated under their leadership._

_The Wraith didn't have their great machines to fly through the air back then, and the battles were fought on horses and horrible creatures the Wraith had somehow discovered. _

_The call went out early one morning that the Wraith had arrived, flooding through the Ancestral Ring. Jodorran and Danniera led their forces out and the two armies met on a large field to the east of the Ring. _

_It was horrible, and it was bloody, just like all wars are. The twins fought side-by-side, just as they always did. They fought their way against the tide of horrible creatures until the Wraith Queen was standing in front of them, her blue skin looking almost white in the glaring sunlight. _

_The twins charged._

_Though the Wraith were never easy to kill, and their queens were usually among the strongest, she was no match for the combined might of the captains. Danniera executed half of a move that the queen raised her sword to intercept. But it was Jodorran who completed the arc, and his own sword took off the queen's head, sending it among the guard that was supposed to have been protecting her. _

_They won the battle that day. _

_King Greymari threw a wonderful feast in celebration, as was his custom. There was good food and good drink and good company, and the Skanderians celebrated another day of living and standing their ground. Jodarran slipped out early, kissing his sister on the cheek before hurrying home to spend time with his wife and newborn son. He was a proud father, and Danniera knew that most nights he stayed up late, just staring at the baby. _

_She found her brother's body when she headed for her own bed. _

_Loyalty amongst the Wraith was unheard of. Yes, they followed their queen, but that was just the way their society was built. They were known to turn on each other even during a battle. Despite their propensity for disloyalty, they had hunted down Jodorran and killed him in retaliation for slaying their queen. _

_Danniera didn't have time to mourn her brother. Wraith had fled from the field of battle and hidden themselves at great risk. They had waited until nightfall, until they could get Jodorran alone. The wounds on his body suggested torture before death. Danniera couldn't assume that it would end there._

_She ran for her brother's home, relieved when she saw that his wife and son were still alive. She told them what had happened and comforted them as best she could. But time was not on their side. She feared for their safety and worried that every moment they stayed in the house was another minute the Wraith had to come and find them. So she helped them to pack up their things and spirited them away in the darkness, leading them to the house of Drakor, a soldier under her brother's banner. Drakor was a good man, someone she could trust. And he was her Bonded - they were to be married in the spring. _

_Drakor took them in without hesitation. He would have had Danniera stay as well, but she was the sole captain of the guard at the moment, and the alarm had to be raised. There were Wraith roaming free in the kingdom. They had to be stopped. _

_She never made it that far. She was ambushed by two dozen Wraith, and though they lost almost half their number, eventually they overwhelmed her. It was not a clean killing. Dragged away from the city, Danniera was tortured through the night as the Wraith did their best to get the location of Jodorran's son from her. There was talk of a 'blood vengeance,' something that none in Skandar had heard of before. As daylight approached and they realized that they weren't going to get the information out of her, they decided to cut their losses and leave._

_Before they did, they strung Danniera up on a post in the middle of a field and set her on fire. _

_Drakor had raised the alarm himself when two hours had gone by and Danniera hadn't returned to him. The city was searched, soldiers going to door to door in an effort to find the queen's captain. Until her body blazed with the sunrise, though, there was nothing._

_Mourning his beloved and bound by duty, Drakor knew that he had to keep Jodorran's wife and son safe. The methodical cruelty with which the twins had been dispatched struck him to the core, and it made him rightfully fearful that the Wraith would not stop until the line was destroyed completely. Resigning his post, he took his two charges and disappeared through the Ancestral Ring, vowing to keep the line safe for the rest of his life._

* * *

Danni took a deep breath as her story came to a close, momentarily shutting her eyes as everyone else in the room just stared at her.

"And that's how it's always been," she finally said, coming back to herself and looking up at John. "Eventually the line made its way to Earth and that's where it has remained. The Heir of Skandar has been in hiding and there has always been a Guardian. One person in the entire galaxy who knows their identity and watches out for them. I am that Guardian. I've kept this secret almost my entire life, and I will continue to do so for as long as I am still breathing. Kolya can kidnap and torture me all he wants. I'm not giving him what he's looking for."

Teyla and Ronon were nodding. "It is a story known on almost every planet," Teyla explained. "My people hold Skandar in very high esteem, though we have never become allies with them - mostly because of our nomadic nature. We were raised to believe that the Heir would one day be returned to the kingdom and would take the throne, leading a united army against the might of the Wraith in one last battle."

"And you believed it?" Rodney asked incredulously. "Talk about your Messianic myth..."

"Looks pretty true from where I'm sitting," Ronon replied. "We've got the Guardian right here."

"So who is it?" John asked suddenly, arms still crossed and body tense. "Who is the Heir?"

Danni chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry, Sheppard. I'm the only one who knows, remember? I'm not looking to expand that circle."

"You can't honestly believe we'll go running to the Wraith with it."

"Of course not. But having this knowledge is dangerous. You saw what Kolya was willing to do to get it. This stays with me. Non-negotiable." She sighed, weariness rolling through her. "Any chance I could get another nap? Torture is pretty exhausting."

Elizabeth could almost hear John's words before he even opened his mouth, and she reached out to rest a hand on his arm.

"Of course," she said firmly. "I imagine there will be more questions later."

"I get that." Danni paused, looking over at John. "I'm sorry I put you in danger," she said quietly. "That was never my intention."

His jaw clenched as he nodded. "Yeah, well...we all got out alive. Get some more rest. We'll talk about it later."

Turning on his heel, he left the room. Danni stared after him with sad eyes, but she didn't say anything. Teyla stood up and walked over to her, squeezing her arm.

"He will come around," she said gently. "Give him time."

Danni gave her a tired smile. "That I can do." She turned her head to look at Lorne. "Any way I can convince you to stay for a little while? I understand if you don't want to, or if you need some time."

His eyes were distant even though he nodded. "I'll stay until you fall asleep."

"Fair enough," she whispered.

Lorne refocused on her. "Oh, Danni," he murmured. Standing up, he leaned over and kiss her forehead. "Sleep. It'll be okay. We'll figure it out."

As sleep reclaimed her, she prayed that he was right.


	23. Chapter 23

Elizabeth knew that she was being unfair. John was hurting and confused with everything that had happened with Danni, and he was looking lost. Elizabeth knew that he needed a friend, needed her. As much as she wanted to let herself be there for him, though, she couldn't. She shut everything she could feel from him away and refused to be alone with him.

John wasn't stupid. When she disappeared back into her office with a casual dismissal thrown over her shoulder, he stopped and stared at her with injured disbelief. He might not be good talking about his feelings, but he was just as bad at keeping them off his face, as well. It was obvious that he had gotten the message she was sending and he didn't like it. Clenching his jaw, he turned abruptly and walked away, the tense line of his shoulders practically screaming at her.

* * *

Elizabeth didn't sleep that night. She had closed herself off to John, so she couldn't know if he was having nightmares. Her own bad dreams were painful enough. Her memory seemed fixated on the way he had looked at her when he realized what she was doing. Elizabeth had hurt him, and something deep inside of her said that it had been a betrayal of the highest order.

But she hadn't had a choice, had she? She remembered every heartbeat on the balcony - the way his body felt against hers, the way she could feel things through him and experience them with him. All the emotions John locked away inside himself when it came to her had just crashed through her, mingling with her own until she had been dizzy with want and love. She knew how she felt about John - had admitted it to herself while they were in Skandar - but knowing how he felt about her...It was exhilarating and terrifying and her entire world had threatened to tip over from it.

She couldn't let that happen.

She had a city to run and he had the same city to protect. They were cut off from Earth and now they were facing vengeful Wraith chasing after one of their own and Kolya was working with them. The problems just kept piling on, and they couldn't risk being compromised because they had given in to their feelings for one another. Feels would pass. The city was more important.

That was what she had told herself, anyway. Less than twenty-four hours without having John bringing her coffee or walking beside her down the hallway and her chest ached like someone was beating against it with a hammer. She wondered when it would stop.

A voice in the back of her head whispered that maybe it wouldn't.

"Elizabeth?"

The voice startled her, and she looked up from the paperwork on her desk to see Teyla standing in the doorway. She smiled at the Athosian woman and set down her pen.

"Good morning, Teyla," she said, trying to force some warmth into her tone.

"It's nearly afternoon," the other woman pointed out. "I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me."

Elizabeth ignored the resounding agreement from her stomach - she had missed breakfast that morning already. "I wish I could, but today I'm just too busy."

Teyla nodded. "I understand. I did have a matter I wished to discuss with you, however. One of a personal nature, and quite important, I'm afraid."

Relaxing slightly, Elizabeth leaned back her chair. "Of course. I always have time for a friend in need."

"And for that, I am thankful. Perhaps we could talk on the balcony?"

Her mind flashed back to the day before, but Elizabeth resolutely pushed it away and got to her feet. "Sure."

She followed her friend out onto the balcony, resisting the urge to close her eyes and breathe in the warm breeze coming off the water. She knew what she would see if she let her mind wander back, and she wasn't willing to let herself go there. Instead, she stood beside Teyla at the railing and turned to face her.

"So, what did you need to talk about?"

Teyla stared out at the water for a moment, and when she turned to look at Elizabeth, her eyes were deeply troubled.

"You're hurting him, and I do not understand why."

Elizabeth froze, her throat going dry and suddenly refusing to function.

"I am sorry for bringing you out here on false pretenses," Teyla continued. "But it is obvious to a few of us that some kind of rift has formed between you and John. The two of you are so in sync, that even a day of avoiding each other and half the city is on edge."

Elizabeth sighed, tears stinging her eyes. "That's exactly why I have to do this," she said, her voice defeated.

She found herself telling Teyla everything - her discoveries since leaving Skandar, the shared feelings, the kiss on the balcony the day before. She had almost forgotten how good it felt to just confess everything to a good friend, leaving it at their feet so that they could help you put it back together. Elizabeth realized with a start, though, that nothing was going to fit right without John.

Teyla listened without any interruption. When Elizabeth had finally said everything she could say, her throat was raw from forcing the words out. And though she felt slightly better for having gotten things off of her chest, she realized that her reasoning didn't sound quite as concrete once she had said it aloud.

Teyla watched her thoughtfully. "So you believe the city will be safer if you do not give in to these feelings?" she finally asked. "You truly believe that?"

Elizabeth floundered for a moment. "There are regulations against this. There are _reasons_ for those regulations..."

"You are stranded away from your home planet," Teyla cut in, her voice firm, but still kind. "The only hierarchy here is you and John. You lead the city and he protects it. There is no IOA to reprimand you. There is no one to take your job away from you. And if it is public appearance that you are worried about, you needn't be. The people of this city know that they are safer when you and John are working in tandem. It has been like that since the very beginning, Elizabeth, and you know that. You are stronger together, and that makes the rest of us stronger."

Her logical explanations gone, Elizabeth opened her mouth and tried to speak, but the words failed her. Tears burned against her eyes and she did her best to keep them from falling, but she felt as though all of her defenses were being stripped away.

"I don't know how to do this," she admitted finally, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"I understand. I don't think that most of us do, though. The beauty of it is that we won't be alone. Can you think of anyone in the galaxy you would rather do this with than John?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No." Looking down, she tried to get a hold of her emotions again. "You know...this is the first time I'm not afraid of someone hurting me?"

Teyla frowned slightly. "You fear that you will hurt him?"

"Or let him down..." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I've already hurt him. Not exactly a great start."

"We will always hurt the people we love at least once," her friend said gently. "It is what we do afterward that makes the difference, I believe."

"And if he's still angry with me?"

Teyla pointed to the tattoo on the inside of Elizabeth's wrist. "You said that you could feel what he's feeling. If you truly need any more convincing to go fix things..."

Elizabeth stared down at the black lines. The sight of them and the memory of the power that they held still filled her with a mixture of excitement and fear. Even though she hadn't spoken to John recently, she could still remember exactly how it all felt. She wondered if that would ever go away. A large part of her hoped that it wouldn't. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she pressed two of her fingers on her other hand against the tattoo. The blocks she had set in place against John crumbled away and a host of feeling flooded through her, drowning out everything else.

It took her a few minutes to realize that she was kneeling on the balcony, her body shaking and tears streaming down her face. Teyla was crouched down in front of her, concern etched across her features.

"Elizabeth!" she said sharply. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Elizabeth shook her head, looking down at the tattoo and pulling her fingers away from it. Everything inside of her hurt, and she knew that that was because of the pain John was feeling. It had been obvious that she had hurt him, but there was no way she could have been prepared for the pain that was coursing through him. And _she_ had done that.

With a renewed determination, she pushed herself to her feet. Teyla got up as well, watching her warily.

"Elizabeth?"

"I have to fix this."

* * *

John wasn't answering his door, but Elizabeth knew that he was there. It was uncanny, how she could sense him. There was anger there, but he was hurting more than anything else, and she wanted nothing more than to make that stop. She used her code to manually override the lock on his door and stepped in, letting the door shut behind her.

He was sitting on the end of his bed, forearms braced on top of his thighs. Head hanging down, he slowly raised his eyes to look up at her, and Elizabeth felt something in her chest catch painfully.

"Oh, John," she whispered.

Stepping forward, she knelt down between his legs and cradled his face in her hands. She had promised to protect him, to take care of him, to heal him. She had vowed to stand by his side no matter what they faced, and at the first sign of something scary, she had run in the other direction. She promised herself that she would do better from now on.

"Lizabeth," he said, his voice low and gravelly. He looked like he was afraid to hope.

Elizabeth gave him a soft smile before taking one of his hands in hers. She lined their tattoos up and then pressed them together. There was so much she wanted to say, but the words kept jumbling in her mind. She needed him to know, and she needed him to know _now_.

She saw the moment that understanding washed over him. The breath he took in was shaky and he stared at her with wide eyes.

"'Lizabeth." His voice was stronger this time as he searched her face. "I -"

She nodded. "I know. I'm so sorry, John."

Leaning up, Elizabeth pressed her lips to his even as she lifted his hand to press it against her heart. It didn't take him any time to catch up, his arms sliding down to pull her tightly to his chest, mouth slanting over hers as he took the kiss deeper.

The fear was still there, hiding in a dark corner of her mind, but as he pulled her down onto the bed with him, Elizabeth decided that it was worth it. Having John was worth everything.


End file.
